Ai Shiteru
by icezer230
Summary: Based on the AMG fanfics 'Oh! My God!' by Brett Handy as well as 'No Mere Mortal' by Ed Sharpe. What if Chia-Yao and Kenji were in the same world? Who would Skuld choose? *FINISHED*
1. The Beginning of the End

Ai Shiteru--Chapter 1: The Beginning of The End

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF 
> 
> This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][5]. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
* *=thought   
" "=speech   
( )=explanations   
[ ]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Skuld looked at the way Keiichi and Belldandy were sitting together on the veranda and sighed. She now knew that it was useless trying to tear the two apart. It was as if Kami-sama had wanted them together from the start. *Dad always had a way with things...* she mused. If he wanted things to be done a certain way, he could definitely do it. 
> 
> She looked towards Urd's vacant room and sighed even louder. Brett and Urd had decided to take a little vacation on Christmas Island just for the weekend...and they had the audacity to leave her out of it! What nerve! 
> 
> What was worse, Banpei-kun had just broken down. Skuld usually used the TV parts for repairs on any of her projects (there _were_ a lot of machinery to be used in that TV set) so when Urd took the TV on her trip (in case she needed to teleport in times of emergency), Skuld was stuck doing the dishes. Banpei-kun, who had done whatever her share of housework labor had demanded. This was one of the few times she actually manually worked the chores that were split up between the three sisters (and occasionally the rest of the male members of the house). 
> 
> *Arg! I'm 16! I should be hanging out with my friends at the mall, eating ice cream and talking about the latest songs and cute guys!* she thought to herself in an angry tone. *It's not like I don't have a life or anything!* She said again silently. She gave out a small sigh and turned the tap off. She was done with the dishes... something she would rather not do while she was in the prime of her life. 
> 
> She didn't really need any friends at the moment. After all, she _was_ one of the foremost youngest child prodigies on Earth. And a beautiful goddess at that too, she reminded herself, to boost her somewhat low self-esteem. Lately, she had been having a lot of migraines and it was weakening her brain. Or was it all that ice cream she ate the other week? No matter, Skuld, soon-to-be greatest scientist in the universe, was going to be back on tip-top shape in no time! 
> 
> Yet she wasn't so sure right now. 
> 
> Suddenly, a wave of pain hit her right at the center of her forehead as if it was the center of a 8.0 Richter quake. She clutched her head in agony as the world spun around her, making her movements seem _way_ out of balance, the tremors in her head getting longer and harder to take. The last thing she saw before the whole universe went dark was the tiled kitchen floor. 
> 
> "Love will die if held too tightly;   
 Love will fly if held too lightly;   
 Lightly, tightly, how do I know,   
 Whether I'm holding or letting love go?"   
 --from a poem.   

> 
> **CHAPTER I: THE BEGINNING OF THE END...**
> 
> "Belldandy? Is that you? I wanted to know if Bug was busy right now. I want to talk to her about something. What!? Bug? Unconscious? I'll be there right away!" Chia-Yao, the God of Truth, replied. As soon as Belldandy told him what had happened, she heard a click and the disconnected tone. 
> 
> *Immortals do _not_ fall sick easily, period. Immortals don't faint easily, period.* There was something seriously wrong with Skuld, and it was his duty as her friend to help however he could. Also, Skuld was the immortal he loved. He never admitted it out loud, but he loved the bickering they usually had when they were together, the fun times they had when they were working on a project... 
> 
> He never really told him about how he felt. He wanted to do so desperately, the last time they'd met, but... well, his job always got in the way of things. After all, being the God of Truth and a leader of the Security Daemons was no easy task. He wanted to tell her that he cared for her, right there and then. And he would, once he got there. And it would be... perfect. It would be just him and Skuld, and no one else. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Hello, is this Belldandy? This is Kenji speaking. May I speak to Skuld?" Kenji asked as politely as he could. *I hope she's free Friday. There's a great movie out and I want to take her! Then I can tell her how I really feel about her!* 
> 
> "Oh hello, Kenji. What a pleasant surprise! I'm sorry, Skuld's not available right now. She's unconscious right now. Should I tell her to call you once she regains her consciousness?" Belldandy said in a worried voice. *What? Skuld? No wonder she didn't call me this morning!* he thought. 
> 
> "Unconscious? What happened to her?" he asked concernedly. 
> 
> "Well, we don't know yet. A doctor's coming over soon to examine her...Kenji? Kenji?" Belldandy was cut off. She raised an eyebrow and replaced the receiver. *Kids these days...* she sighed. *Maybe I should call Urd and tell her what's going on... Maybe she knows a God or two that will come down to the Mortal Realm and examine Skuld... Oh Kami-sama, I hope she's okay...* 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Brett honey, can you answer the phone for me?" Urd pleaded. She didn't want to move from her sanctuary. She needed her beauty sleep--after all, with a sister like Skuld, she needed to regain as much energy as she could (without getting drunk, for once). Plus, she had an image the keep up--she didn't want Brett to go astray after a couple of decades, did she? 
> 
> "All right, I'll get it," Brett said. He was just about getting used to doing things for Urd in the mornings. Urd simply wasn't a morning person. Brett wasn't exactly a morning person, but he was not exactly a night person either. With a sigh, he trotted over to the phone and answered it not unlike a drone. 
> 
> "Hello?" 
> 
> "Brett? Is that you? This is Belldandy, can I talk to my sister?" Belldandy's voice came through the phone. There was a hint of emergency to her tone, so he said sure and dragged the whole phone down to where Urd lay curled up in a fetus position so that her majesty would not have to get up. He shook her slightly and said that it was for her. 
> 
> "Moshi Moshi?" she growled before yawning loudly into the receiver. 
> 
> "Oneechan? This is Bell! Skuld's unconscious and I don't know what's wrong with her! She's delirious and she's mumbling all sorts of nonsense! I think she's delirious! Can you come?" Belldandy's unusually pleading voice woke Urd up in an instant. She snapped her fingers and then she was ready to go, all dressed and made up. She snapped her fingers again and the TV she brought from home wavered over to her. She took it and went in, leaving Brett astounded in his underwear. 
> 
> Suddenly, Urd came back and pulled Brett in with her after snapping her fingers once more, Brett instantly dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt attire. *I _knew_ I forgot something! Why does something like this always seem to happen when you're having fun?* she sighed as they teleported back to the temple. They showed up at the living room and proceeded to Skuld's room. Brett didn't know what happened or what was going on, so he just tried to follow Urd. 
> 
> Just then, he saw a brilliant flash of light and Chia-Yao appeared next to him in his usual outfit. However, he looked a little agitated and seemed to ignore Brett's presence. He rushed to Skuld's room immediately and Brett wondered what had happened that could create such havoc in a short amount of time. He then followed Chia-Yao into Skuld's room. 
> 
> What he saw was a highly delirious Skuld on her futon, mumbling something over and over incoherently. Belldandy was at her side near her pillow with a cloth, ready to change the one on Skuld's forehead. Keiichi looked on worriedly, while Urd was assessing the situation with her magic. Chia-Yao and Brett just stood there, not knowing what to do or what to think. 
> 
> Then Urd rushed out of the room without saying anything, towards the direction of the phone. Brett peeked his head out of Skuld's room and walked towards the same direction. She rapidly dialed a number, but since she was so nervous, she kept getting the wrong number. She then took a deep breath and slowly dialed the number that hopefully could help Skuld from her dilemma. Brett went beside her and took her other hand, the one that didn't have the receiver and squeezed it. Urd gave him a small but sad smile. 
> 
> "Is Aska in? This is Urd...Hai, my sister is having a strange disease, I need your help. Please come...Yes, yes, the coordinates are 3-2834-2884-212. Please help her. Thank you!" she said before she hung up. Then she faced Brett and hugged him tight. *Urd isn't usually so emotional about her sister, that means something is really wrong about Skuld...I hope she's all right!* 
> 
> A brilliant flash of light appeared from outside and a loud knock at the front door was heard. Urd reluctantly released the hug and hurried to answer the door. When she opened it, there was a handsome reddish-brown-haired man wearing a full dark business outfit. He was wearing dark glasses and he carried a small silver suitcase. Urd bowed and he nodded as he entered without saying anything. 
> 
> Urd showed him where Skuld was and he instantly used his magic to see what was wrong with her. After a moment or two, he looked inside his bag, which contained thousands of nearly microscopic little books written in the Language of the Gods. He carefully chose one and enlarged it. Then he flipped it to a certain page and spoke an incantation, whispering and his tone melodious. The instant the incantation was finished, Skuld's face color became almost normal and she stopped moaning. However, she still stayed pale and did not wake up. 
> 
> "I must speak with you in private, Norns..." the strange man in black said. Urd nodded and Belldandy followed as well to Urd's room. The male crowd stayed behind in Skuld's room to look after her, although they did it reluctantly. They wanted to know what was wrong. What was wrong with Skuld? Was she going to be all right? 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "All right, what's the deal?" Urd impatiently snapped. 
> 
> "Although disease is rare among immortals unless their powers are diminished, it seems that your sister has gotten pneumonia. Has she been in contact with extreme cold temperatures in the last 48 hours?" the man asked, taking off his glasses and revealing his fiery red eyes as he cleaned them with a cloth. 
> 
> "Not that we know of, Aska. It's summer here at the moment," Belldandy answered. Aska raised his right eyebrow and frowned. Then his eyes widened, as if he remembered something. 
> 
> "Has your sister made frequent contacts with something known in layman's terms as 'bugs' during her stay in the mortal realm? You see, if she did, it would cause her immortal powers to weaken due to the exertion of power..." he ranted on like a mad scientist explaining how his new invention worked. 
> 
> "So you're saying that frequent or prolonged contact with bugs will allow us to be susceptible to mortal epidemics and diseases?" Urd asked, tired of trying to keep up with the scholar. 
> 
> "Precisely! She will need to be in bed for a few weeks but she'll be all right. She will need lots of rest and you can buy the prescription I give you at the local drug store. You will, however, need to find the 'bugs' and eliminate them so her disease can be cured," he said, taking something from within his vest and handing it to Urd. It was the portable, shrinkable version of the handy-dandy bug-smashing hammer. 
> 
> "However, since her job is as a debugger, she may come into further contact with this disease from time to time...I think you owe me a drink for this one, Urd. I'll have to get back to my job if there's nothing else," he continued. The sisters said their thanks. The God of Healing bowed, and left without further ado. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Skuld opened her eyes and saw a blurry surface. She blinked for a while and the image cleared to become a ceiling. Her room's ceiling. She rotated her eyes and saw that there were many people crowded around her. Even Brett, Urd, and Chia-Yao had came from where they were! Why did Brett and Urd leave their vacation and Chia Yao leave his post in Heaven? *Were they worried about me?* 
> 
> "Skuld, you're awake! Aska was just here and he told us that the bugs you've been in contact with here on the mortal realm caused your disease. You should be all right, but you'll need a lot of rest," Belldandy said with a happy grin. She hugged her little sister like there was no tomorrow. 
> 
> "Uh...Did you guys catch the plate number of that truck? I feel like hell..." Skuld groaned as she released herself from Belldandy's hug and clutched her head. She didn't really pay much attention to what her sister said since it hurt so much. 
> 
> "Good thing you're OK, bug. I was worried there for a moment..." Chia-Yao said, smiling sadly. "Hope you get better soon. I've got something I want you to give me your opinion on. I've sort of created a prototype of the BFG [BIG Fuckin' Gun, not the Big Friendly Giant in this case :P] XVIII and..." Chia-Yao was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. 
> 
> "I'll get it," Belldandy said, back in her normally cheerful mode. Keiichi followed her while Urd and Brett shared a knowing look after glancing at the two young immortals as they talked shop. *They were going to be _some_ pair if they get together...* 
> 
> "Hi Belldandy! Is Skuld all right now?" Kenji's voice was heard at the front door. Before Belldandy could answer though, Kenji had already reached Skuld's door and peeked his head inside. He saw Chia-Yao and vice versa. Then Chia-Yao looked at Skuld questioningly and Kenji wondered who the strange guy in the weird outfit was next to Skuld. 
> 
> "Who are you?" they asked each other at the same time. 
> 
> ***** END OF CHAPTER 1 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!:Don't you just _luv_ cliff-hangers? J/k, I personally hate them but I could not think of ending the chapter any way else! Hey, I gave you a warning already on the [fanfiction][6] page, where I put everything else I write! I think Skuld's attitude towards Keiichi-san is appropriate...after all, she's 16! It's what, 4 years, since her initial encounter with Keiichi? She's got to get over it _someday_! The comment about teenagers being 'at the mall, eating ice cream and talking about the latest songs and the handsomest actors' is based on some real experiences. I've done the first two but I have not participated in the 3rd one...and I don't think I ever will.  Click [here][7] to go to the next chapter.   
Back to the '[Ai Shiteru'][8] page.   
Back to my [Fanfiction][6] page, where you will explore other various things I've written.   
Back to [icezer230's][9] Animanga Pages (the front page). 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [6]: fanfic.html
   [7]: ai2.html
   [8]: aishiteru.html
   [9]: index.html



	2. The Rivalry Begins

"Ai Shiteru"--Chapter II: The Rivalry Begins...

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF 
> 
> This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][5]. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. If you haven't read [chapter 1][6], please do so. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Urd and Brett managed to get out of the room unscathed (which was a miracle, considering the thousands of invisible daggers the two teenagers were throwing at each other) and since Brett wasn't around when Kenji made his last visit, Urd had a little bit of explaining to do up in his room. Belldandy had gone to her safe haven in the kitchen and Keiichi was at the garage, fixing his newest racing motorcycle. From their previous experiences, they knew when to stay out of trouble when they saw it. 
> 
> "Chia-Yao, this is Kenji. Kenji's a…friend I met here in Japan. He's Keiichi's cousin. Kenji, meet Chia-Yao. Chia Yao's a friend from where I originally came from," Skuld said nervously. She wasn't sure why the two were staring each other as if they were going to kill each other, but she knew deep down in her heart that it was going to be a _very_ long day. For her, anyway. 
> 
> "No one feels another's grief,   
 No one understands another's joy.   
 People imagine they can reach one another.   
 In reality they only pass each other by."   
 --Franz Schubert   

> 
> **CHAPTER II: THE RIVALRY BEGINS...**
> 
> "Can I talk to you alone for a moment, Bug?" Chia-Yao asked, not really trusting the man introduced to him simply as 'Kenji.' *Who _is_ this person? He's so...normal* Chia-Yao thought as he looked at Kenji. Kenji, on the other hand, was wondering who Chia-Yao was and how he could be friends with Skuld. After all, Chia-Yao's uniform stood out amongst the mortal clothes everyone else wore. 
> 
> "Uh, sure. Kenji, why don't you get yourself a cup of tea from my sister? I'm sure you must be thirsty," Skuld said, still uncomfortable. 
> 
> "Okay, Skuld…" Kenji said, not really wanting to. He knew when he was unwanted. Kenji closed the door with a face full of questions. With Chia-Yao and Skuld left alone in the room, the atmosphere in the room only seemed to tighten as a moment of silence appeared. 
> 
> "What did you want to talk to me about, Chia-Yao?" Skuld asked, her head still a little dizzy. She wanted to get right to the point so she could relax later. She had propped herself up against her futon so she could lean back on it without falling back down on the bed. 
> 
> "Um…Skuld. I know we've been good friends for a long time-ever since we were kids, remember-and I've never kept a secret from you. I know I've been busy lately with all those demons violating the peace pact, but I still read my e-mail! So why didn't you tell me about him?" Chia-Yao said, wanting to start out clean but unable to hold his feelings about her not telling him about something as important as this. He wanted to tell her about his feelings towards her, but he couldn't. Not before knowing what she felt about Kenji, the mere mortal. *Surely she won't fall for him like Belldandy did! I mean, Keiichi's a cool guy and all that, but…Skuld?* 
> 
> "…I'm sorry, Chia-Yao. I was sort of busy dealing with all those bugs popping up everywhere, too. That's why I got this stupid epidemic going on in me right now… I wanted to. Really. I just didn't know how to tell you. After all, you're…you're a guy!" she said, blushing furiously. *You know that I care for you, Chia-Yao, but I care for Kenji too…* 
> 
> *Great. Now she brings up the gender thing. No wonder Brett complains about Urd being so secretive all the time… I'm going to settle this once and for all…* he thought. 
> 
> "So what if I'm a guy!" he roared. He was furious. Never had he been so humiliated in his entire immortal career. Or life, for that matter. 
> 
> The glassware around the temple started to tremble with furiosity, but Chia-Yao never noticed it. Urd looked at Brett with a raised eyebrow and got out of the room. Keiichi frowned and Belldandy only sipped her tea in silence. Kenji only looked at the direction of Skuld's room, sighing. *What the hell is going on around here!* 
> 
> "Stop, Chia-Yao! You're going to make the whole temple collapse if you don't control your temper!" Skuld pleaded with Chia-Yao, restraining him by hugging him around the waist. You could literally see the fire burning in Chia-Yao's eyes. His fists were clenched as tightly as they could. Then he closed his eyes, trying to control his power. 
> 
> "Skuld, I love you. Can't you see that I care?" he said in a soft voice, almost too soft for Skuld to hear. But Skuld heard it. And she was stunned beyond belief. Then she turned beet red. She was at a loss of words. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but found that she didn't know what to say. 
> 
> "You never realized it, did you?" he said in a bitter tone, trying desperately to not cry. He knew he had just been rejected by her and he didn't know what to do about it. *Goddamnit! Why do these things have to be so hard!* he swore. 
> 
> Walking dejectedly out the door and closing it, he left the temple without glancing at any of the concerned occupants and disappeared into thin air. He didn't notice Skuld's face grow paler as he spoke out his conclusion about her feelings towards him. Skuld had noticed his face though and she felt bad. *Why couldn't I say something to him? Why?* she thought to herself over and over again. She slumped to the floor, tears running freely down her face. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Kenji wondered why the Chia-Yao guy had gone out in such an unruly manner. *Thinks he's the big and almighty man, huh? Well, he's definitely rude.* He smirked at the thought of Skuld scolding Chia-Yao and Chia-Yao walking out of her room in a mad rage. 
> 
> He got up and went to Skuld's room, only to find it locked. He knocked on it three times, but got no response from beyond the wooden wall between him and his beloved. He frowned and pressed his ear to the door, trying to hear whether or not Skuld was in there. *She has to be, or else she wouldn't have locked the door.* 
> 
> Hearing nothing, he wondered whether or not she had gone to sleep. Sighing, he excused himself, saying good bye to the other occupants of the temple and went back to his apartment, wondering what had happened inside Skuld's room.
> 
> *****
> 
> The immortal occupants of the temple, having the greater advantage of being able to hear words spoken beyond walls (although they kept it a secret from mortals), stayed quiet for a moment before pitying Skuld and Chia-Yao.
> 
> Urd gave Brett a stern look which instantly commanded him to go after Chia-Yao and try to comfort him. Brett nodded, sighed, and jumped into the nearest watch with a flash of light. *I'm going to have to talk about the lessons of love with her a little earlier than I expected*, Urd thought. *I wish I had more time to prepare for it, that's all.*
> 
> Belldandy maintained 'that sweet innocent smile of hers' but nodded at Urd when she walked past herself and Keiichi, who was too busy working on his newest motorcycle magazine to pay attention. *I'm no blind bat, but I'd rather give the job to Urd when it concerns about the matters of love,* she thought. Urd smiled sadly back at Belldandy and at the thought of receiving the enormous burden of teaching her youngest sister. *It's not going to be an easy task at all,* she sighed.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Go away, Urd!" Skuld said in a cracked voice, still in tears. Urd had magically unlocked the door and stepped inside to find her youngest sibling sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the futon, Skuld's back facing herself. She closed the door and went to Skuld, holding her as Skuld continued to release her confused feelings. She rocked her until the younger woman had stopped crying and was asleep. 
> 
> *She's all grown up now. Maybe I shouldn't tease her anymore...* Urd said, running her fingers through the dark hair of her sister. Sighing, she layed Skuld back on the futon and covered the blanket over her. Using her own fingers to take away the tears from the delicate eyes of her sister, she then touched the forehead of her sister with her own and concentrated on a spell.
> 
> As Urd opened her eyes in the mind of her sister, she saw the object she was searching for sitting under a familiar tree (Skuld's and Chia-Yao's favorite spot in Heaven), looking far beyond the clouds that surrounded the place. The figure (a miniature version of Skuld, only naked) turned to face her as she approached. Skuld didn't look surprised.
> 
> "So you heard?" Skuld asked, turning back to look at the distant clouds.
> 
> "Yeah...So..." Urd said, not really knowing how to start. She sat down next to her (also naked...that's how it is in a person's mind!) and waited for a reply.
> 
> "I don't know what to say to them. I mean, I care for them and all that..." she said, hesitating.
> 
> "But...?" Urd urged Skuld to go on.
> 
> "...I don't know, Urd. I've never really thought that way about Chia-Yao before. Also...I-I kind of like Kenji too..." Skuld admitted. She never admitted these things to anyone before, let alone Urd. Belldandy just didn't seem to understand how she felt and Urd was too enamored with Brett to really pay attention with her.
> 
> "Have you thought of Kenji as...let's be frank, okay, Skuld? Have you EVER thought of him as a lover? A boyfriend? You know how he feels for you--mortal's minds are so easy to read...," she said, hoping Skuld would tell her so it wouldn't be so hard on her. Her and Chia-Yao both. 
> 
> After a few moments of thinking, Skuld answered, "I...well, I've never really thought about the future between me and Kenji. Well, I don't want to. I just want our relationship to stay like this. I mean, we can go out and stuff...I'm just not to sure about accepting him as a husband and all that... Urd, I've never really been so confused in my entire life! What should I do?" Skuld asked, turning her head so they could meet eye to eye.
> 
> "...Would you LIKE Chia-Yao or Kenji as your future husband?" Urd asked again.
> 
> "They're both nice in their own way. The thing about Kenji is that I haven't told him about me being a goddess yet... I don't know what would to happen to us if I told him. I'm scared, Urd... Chia-Yao's...well, Chia-Yao's Chia-Yao...You know how he is..." Skuld said. She couldn't lie in her own mind. Urd knew that.
> 
> "You mean Chia-Yao might be a possibility?" Urd smiled at the thought of the two short brats...oops!...
> 
> "Urd, please..." Skuld just said. Since they were in Skuld's mind, she could read Urd's mind and vice versa.
> 
> "I think you should tell Kenji the truth. It's about time, anyway. A relationship should be based on truth and love..." Urd began lecturing, but was interrupted by Skuld.
> 
> "Truth? I think your little act on being a guy went just a little TOO far, don't you think?" Skuld said smiling, thinking of the time Urd had disguised herself as a guy so that she could be friends with Brett at the beginning. When Brett realized what happened, he was really hurt and that was one scar in their relationship. Urd blushed.
> 
> "That's not the point! Okay, so it was a little minus on me an' Brett but we were truthful most of the time, weren't we?" Urd argued. Skuld just smiled that mischevious little smile of hers and whistled an innocent tone.
> 
> "OK, so...just MAYBE I went a little overboard sometimes, but that's basically what a relationship's based on! Trust is the most important thing about relationships. I trust Brett, he trusts me. The start's usually a little shaky but the rest usually goes uphill unless you guys aren't made for each other..." Urd said, drifting off. Her previous relationships were shaky all along. *The good thing about Brett is that he's always dependable* she thought, hoping Skuld wouldn't notice.
> 
> "What about Chia-Yao? I think his feelings were really hurt this time..." Skuld said sadly. She could still clearly see how he had left her. He was frustrated, mad, and...she didn't do anything to try and help him!
> 
> "I've sent Brett to hopefully calm him down and let him see things more clearly. It wasn't your fault that you were weak at that moment, Skuld. Chia-Yao...well, he said he cared for you and I, for one, believe him. I think he cares about you more deeply than anything. I only hope that he...well, if you don't make your mind soon, I hope you guys can still be friends..." Urd couldn't say anything beyond that.
> 
> "…Now can you get the hell outta my mind? My head hurts…" Skuld said, clutching her head. Urd knew that it was time for her to stop pushing her sister. She retreated back to the mortal realm and went outside of Skuld's room, closing it slowly as to not awaken the troubled goddess.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Chia-Yao? If you're in there, let me in!" Brett yelled into Chia-Yao's pocket dimension. Echoes of what he just said went all around, but there seemed to be no response. Then the drawbridge was let down. He entered the castle and went straight to Chia-Yao's bedroom, where he was certain he would find the heart-broken god. He was wrong.
> 
> "I'm over here, Brett. Weapons department," Chia-Yao's distinctive voice said on the intercom (which was wired throughout the castle).
> 
> *What the hell are you doing in the weapons department?* Brett wondered. He didn't know Chia-Yao well enough to understand that the weapons department was where the god and Skuld had spent many days, maybe weeks, trying to create the ultimate and perfect weapon. Of course, the results often led to certain wrath by Kami-sama…
> 
> [Note: The writer seriously doesn't know why they keep blowing up His Garden.]
> 
> As Brett entered the weapon-filled room, he noticed Chia-Yao fiddling with a REALLY BIG GUN! The barrel (the long part) was nearly as big as the room (which was well…just about 1 acre). Chia-Yao was in his 'mad-scientist outfit' (that's what Brett called it anyway) and he was hunched over a bunch of machinery at the handle of the gun.
> 
> "Brett? That you?" Chia-Yao asked in a strained voice without turning towards him. He couldn't let Brett see the tears that just couldn't stop running down his eyes. *I'm just SO pathetic! I can't stop crying because of a girl? And that girl's Bug? Aw…Geez…Pull yourself together, Chia-Yao…* he said to himself silently. He cursed and wiped his eyes so he could continue working on the BFG.
> 
> "Yes, it's me. Are you…all right?" he asked in a concerned tone. He was unsure of how to approach his brother. Even though he had plenty of experience counselling, advising, and being the 'one you could turn to' back with his friends in Australia, he didn't really know what to start. *Nothing in practice is like the real thing* he thought to himself. 
> 
> "Oh, I'm fine. I just got dumped by Bug, a call from Kami-sama he wanted to see me about something about another hole in His Garden, an e-mail bomb from Tupinixua & gang, Bug just told me she likes a mere mortal…How the hell could I be so stupid to think that she actually loved me as something more than a friend!" he started out in a sarcastic voice. He then broke down and sobbed, releasing his tools from his hands, which fell with a 'clang' to the floor. He just couldn't keep on working on the BFG in this state.
> 
> "Stop it, Chia-Yao! You KNOW you guys were great friends! It's true! You guys are! I know she likes you, but I'm not sure how far. Did she even say ANYTHING to you when you confessed your love?" Brett said, shaking Chia-Yao by the shoulders. Yet Chia-Yao was still unnerved by what Brett had said to him.
> 
> "I saw her face. You didn't, Brett. She doesn't love me. She loves Kenji…" he said bitterly, banging on the machine with his right fist, denting the metal a little bit.
> 
> "BAKA! How do you know that's true? She didn't say anything! Look, I may not have known Skuld as long as you have, but she cares for you! Remember all the times she defended you in front of Kami-sama when your weapons blew up His things? You don't know this, but she's probably compared you to every single guy she's met! Even me!
> 
> Can't you calm down at least a little? All I'm saying is that you're not giving her a chance to tell you how she really feels about you. You're making up things so you can get out of actually finding out what it's like to be in love, and finding out what it feels like for someone to love you back! Give her a chance, Chia-Yao. That's all I'm asking," Brett pleaded. They were both silent for a long time after that.
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Long after Keiichi was asleep, the two sisters met outside in their sleeping clothes (although Urd's was definitely more revealing) to discuss the day's events without the fear of Keiichi overhearing their conversation. Just in case he woke up, the two goddesses talked in the High Language, or in other words, immortal talk.
> 
> "So what do you think, sis?" Urd asked her sister.
> 
> "It's not my duty, Urd. I'm glad you talked to her about love and relationships, but I don't think it's our duty to help her decide who she should be with. I know that you favor Chia-Yao. Kenji's not a bad person either. Urd, Skuld's the one involved, and Skuld will be the one to decide. If we interfere, everyone will get hurt…and Skuld will be the one hurt most. 
> 
> We both know that. Can't you accept that she's a young lady already? She's a teenager now and she needs to accept the responsibilities of making the right decision. We can't decide for her, not this time," Belldandy said, looking down at Nekomi's lights in the darkness. The lights seem to dance and tease on forever.
> 
> "I don't know, I still can't shake the feeling that she's still…well, a kid! It still feels like only yesterday that we helped her on the swings in Heaven…" Urd drifted off. The only reason why she teased Skuld so much was because that was the only way Urd could say she loved Skuld. 
> 
> "She'll always be our kid sister, Urd. Always," Belldandy said, hugging her older sister. Urd squeezed Belldandy lightly and both shed tears, feeling sorrow for their youngest sister. 
> 
> ***** END OF CHAPTER 2 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!:Kudos to Brett for helping me out with Chia-Yao's and Brett's character during the consoling session! I wouldn't have gone this far without him! I know that Kenji's pretty much neglected in this section but since Skuld's pretty much devastated by what Chia-Yao has told her, I don't think Skuld would have said much to Kenji anyway if she had actually let him come into her room. I thought Brett was the most logical choice to calm Chia-Yao down. After all, the man-man bond thing makes it stronger. I don't know if this is what guys do when they try to console another guy (since I'm not one myself!).  Click [here][6] to go the previous chapter.   
Click [here][7] to go to the next chapter.   
See the author's [comments/notes][8] on 'Ai Shiteru.'   
Back to the '[Ai Shiteru'][9] page.   
Back to my [Fanfiction][10] page, where you will explore other various things I've written.   
Back to [icezer230's][11] Animanga Pages (the front page). 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
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   [5]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
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   [9]: aishiteru.html
   [10]: fanfic.html
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	3. Truth Hurts

"Ai Shiteru"--Chapter III: Truth Hurts

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF 
> 
> This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][5]. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. If you haven't read [chapter 1][6], please do so. 
> 
> *****
> 
> Skuld opened her eyes slowly and she saw the ceiling. She blinked a few times. She remembered what had happened yesterday and shut her eyes so she could block the sun's rays. She just wanted to close her eyes forever. She wanted to ignore the fact that she had just hurt both of her best friends' feelings.
> 
> Considering the fact that Chia-Yao was probably one of her closest friends and they almost never had a real fight about anything (they always joked about it when they did), she felt alone for the first time in the world. _Really_ alone. And now she was going to have to tell Kenji about her being a goddess…and hurt him too. *This realm is making me sick. It's making me weak! Maybe I should get out of this realm for a while...*
> 
> She opened her eyes and made up her mind. She put on a fresh pair of clothes and cleaned herself up. She needed some time alone, some time to herself. Alone. She needed to sort things out. She knew her sisters would understand her if she told them that, so she left a message on her notebook. Then she disapppeared into thin air. 
> 
> "The past tempts us,   
The present confuses us,   
And the future frightens us…   
And our lives slip away,   
Moment by moment,   
Lost in that vast,   
Terrible in-between."   
--Emperor Turhan, Babylon 5   

> 
> **CHAPTER III: TRUTH HURTS**
> 
> "She's what!" Kenji shouted into the receiver. Good thing Belldandy had her ear well away from the ear-piece or she would have gone deaf. Even her immortal ears wouldn't take the high volume. *Mortals are so predictable these days* she thought to herself, chuckling a little as well.
> 
> "Skuld's not here, Kenji. She's a young lady of 16 years and she has the right to decide what she wants to do. It seems that she wants some time to herself. She'll be back when she's finished what I assure you will only be a temporary seclusion. When she does, I'll call you. Is there anything else you would like to do? Would you like to speak to Keiichi?" Belldandy said as sweetly as she could into the phone. 
> 
> *God, she hated talking nice all the time, but she had to watch herself in the mortal realm. In front of Keiichi, too. She had to keep her image of being innocent and indifferent so the mortals would think up to the image of the immortals. Urd and Skuld weren't exactly helping her…* she thought to herself as she heard Kenji saying that it wasn't necessary. 
> 
> Ever since she found out Skuld had left the temple, she had been having thoughts about some private time of her own in Heaven. The thought stuck to her all day and she decided, 'why not?' She didn't have to stay with Keiichi ALL the time (can't a girl have her privacy? Besides, forever IS a long time!), she needed a little break from her 'babysitting', and she was dying for a taste of immortal food—namely ambrosia. It WAS her favorite and it had even got her a nice friendly position with the Greek gods.
> 
> She then hung up and went back to her room and slipped into the mirror for a moment so she could go back to heaven. Urd and Brett had gone back to their secluded paradise of Christmas Island to finish off their vacation before Skuld was gone so they didn't know that Skuld was gone. Keiichi, as usual, was still trying to fix his motorcycle, still unaware that Belldandy was gone.
> 
> *****
> 
> Skuld had gone back to Heaven and packed a few things for her trip. Well, it was more like unpacking rather than packing: she dumped all the stuff she carried in her pocket dimension and sorted the ones she really needed. Still, her trusty mallet was going to be handy at times—her looks had matured enough so that there were few male heads that didn't turn when she walked past them on the street. There was no doubt now that she was Urd's and Belldandy's sister, since she had a bit of both features in her.
> 
> "Skuld? Is that you?" a familiar female voice gasped just as she walked out her pocket dimension, finished with packing. She turned her head around towards the direction of the voice and found herself looking at a female valkryie about her age (beautiful and perhaps more mature-looking than her, but wearing close to nothing, for valkryies certainly caught people's attention in order to bring them across to the gates of heaven!) walking towards her direction. The valkrie and half-goddess had dyed-brown hair, light blue eyes and had the figure all models wished for without even going through the ordeal of a diet.
> 
> "Rhiana?" Skuld said in a whispered voice when she recognized the girl. They hadn't seen each other in what seemed like ages! They had both been in the Ygdrassil system when she had last been there (both as debuggers) but Rhiana had been transferred into another division of the administration, leaving Skuld to do all the debugging since Kami-sama had not found someone else as qualified.
> 
> "It IS you, Skuld! Great to see you! So how have things been going?" Rhiana asked cheerfully. Rhiana had also been one of her closer friends. After all, they grew up and went to school together (and even graduated together since they were both geniuses). Settling down in the mortal world and trying to keep her eye on her sisters' relationships didn't exactly give her a chance to contact Riana.
> 
> "Well… Not so great, Rhi…" Skuld grimaced. 'Rhi' (short for Rhiana) noticed the sad expression on Skuld's face and knew something was very wrong. Skuld didn't usually have a drag face unless she was really upset about something.
> 
> "What went wrong?" Rhi asked as she touched Skuld's shoulder. Skuld gestured Rhi into her pocket dimension and they talked about yesterday's events over some ice-cream Skuld kept for emergencies like this. Rhi listened patiently and was in deep thought when Skuld had finished.
> 
> "So you're going to go on a vacation for a while?" Rhi asked Skuld at last, breaking the silence barrier that was just erected a minute ago. Skuld nodded. She continued, "Well then maybe I should keep you company! I've been travelling around the world recently and I've seen quite a lot of great sites that I want to see again. Are you up to it?"
> 
> "Uh, what exactly have you been doing while I was down there, Rhi?" Skuld asked sheepishly.
> 
> "Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, didn't I. I've just been doing some errands for Aska. You know, doing some valkrie work so that souls can finally rest in heaven and all that shit. I can't believe I still have to fight some demon just to get the souls to come with me. Aska's just the greatest there is. Have you met him?" Rhi said, smiling. Aska was Rhi's brother but since he was so busy for all the time Skuld had known Rhiana, Skuld had never met him.
> 
> "Uh nope. I think he met me, though," Skuld said. She told the part about Urd calling Aska on the phone.
> 
> "I was wondering about that one," she said. She explained that her brother had disappeared yesterday for about a minute or two and then came back to her. He didn't say anything about it and she didn't ask. She knew that if Aska wanted to tell her, he would have told her.
> 
> "Well I guess you could come with me… What about your brother and your job?" Skuld said, still unsure. She didn't want to impose like that.
> 
> "My brother can fend for his job--there are other valkries around. Besides, I'm due for a little vacation anyway. I'll just give him an e-mail saying I'll be gone for a while helping you," she said, smiling and pulling Skuld's arm as she walked off to a direction. Skuld felt a little uncomfortable about that Rhiana pulling her arm so she let go and caught up with her instead. Then they both disappeared into thin air.
> 
> *****
> 
> "So where are we?" Skuld asked Rhiana. They were standing before the tall gates of someone's pocket dimension. Beyond that, there was a large and well-kept garden, and a small cottage house.
> 
> "My place. Come on in. I'm going to send that e-mail I was talking about and take a few things…I can't exactly go down on the mortal world wearing this..." Rhiana said, opening the metal gates. Skuld thought, *I never knew she liked to live in a cottage.*
> 
> After they reached the cottage, Rhiana opened the door and ushered Skuld to go in. Skuld was amazed at the size of the room they were in. It was huge! This was technically impossible in the mortal realm, but it was possible in Heaven. She was the one who had actually created the machine that made this possible. It was evident that Rhiana took it a step further and enchanced its abilities to make her own place.
> 
> "So what do you think? I perfected your original design for dimensional expansion. You could have done that yourself later, but if I didn't do it now I wouldn't have all the space I wanted for my own little experiments," Rhiana said, pouring a glass of lemon squash for Skuld. Once inside she had changed her clothes into a simple navy blue T-shirt and short khaki pants. 
> 
> "Kami-sama didn't grant you more space?" Skuld wondered as she sipped the lime squash. Rhiana was one of His favorite daughters, perhaps as much as her.
> 
> "Well, I sort of fell in love with the wrong person," Rhiana said, smiling sadly as if running the memory of it again in her mind. The two goddesses had photographic memories (if you didn't know) but Skuld didn't remember hearing about it.
> 
> "So Kami-sama transferred you out of the section because of it, and gave you a smaller dimension?" Skuld asked, feeling ridiculous. At the moment she wasn't very happy with her Father.
> 
> "Yeah, basically that's it…" Rhiana said, staring into her own glass of lemon squash. Skuld felt sorry for her and felt gladder that someone else close to her had a relationship problem.
> 
> "So do you still think of him?" Skuld wondered.
> 
> "Actually…Her," Rhiana replied, blushing. Skuld raised an eyebrow but said nothing. *I didn't know her preference, really!* she thought to herself, smiling inwardly. After all, being homosexual or bisexual was considered normal in Heaven. There were only a few immortals who were 'straight.' And they were the ones who haven't been around the world that much…like herself and Belldandy. She wasn't so sure about Urd's preference though, since she was so unpredictable.
> 
> "It's allowed, right? So what made Him so angry at you?" Skuld said, still not understanding.
> 
> "I-I… I'm not sure…" Rhiana said, blushing beet red. She started walking off to the direction of her computer. Then she rapidly typed a few words and came back to sit with Skuld. Her blush had faded a little by then.
> 
> "Anyway, where do you want to go?" Rhiana asked the shorter goddess.
> 
> "I don't really know…" Skuld said sheepishly now.
> 
> "Tell you what, why don't we just stay here? You know that no one can find us here. My brother never comes and you can share the bed with me," Rhiana said since she only had one bed. Then she stopped, noticed Skuld just staring at her blankly, and blushed. "I didn't mean it like that…"
> 
> "As much as I'd like to spend the night with you here, I think it's better that I explore the mortal realm so I get to see the place more. All I've seen of it is Australia and Japan. Say, why don't we go to Bali for a couple of days? I hear you can get a good tan," Skuld suggested, knowing that Rhiana wasn't saying what she said on purpose. She wanted to get a tan pretty bad. Urd looked good in one, so why couldn't she get one?
> 
> "Sure," Rhiana said. It had been a while since she got a tan herself. A moment later, they were off.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Belldandy?" Keiichi shouted. He was really hungry and he wondered why she wasn't at the kitchen, preparing for lunch. He wondered where she was. In fact, he also wondered where Skuld was. He was alone in the temple. Had the goddesses left him at last? Had his wish been revoked? Had his love been taken away from him? 
> 
> His mind and stomach spun dizzily. He was thinking too much, and he knew that an empty stomach could do it to someone like him. He trotted down to the kitchen and looked for something to eat. He found a packet of instant noodles and started boiling some hot water. He sighed once more as he realized that he would have to fend for himself...since he couldn't cook very well.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Belldandy?" a similar question was asked but it was said by another person. It was Athena, one of Belldandy's circle of friends.
> 
> "How are you Athena? It _has_ been a while since we last met, right? How are the affairs of Greece?" Belldandy said, greeting the tall and slender goddess with a hug and kiss. Since the ancient times, the Greek goddess had assumed the dress of modern days. Athena was wearing the simple T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
> 
> "I haven't been there for a while. Couldn't be bothered, since Zeus's still there looking after business. I've been in the states, catching up on the culture," Athena answered. She too, was holding a dish of ambrosia and was eating it as pleasurely as Belldandy was at the table. "How is your relationship with the mortal Keiichi?"
> 
> "Fine, but I'm worried about him. I should be going back as soon as I finish this delicious meal…which is right now" Belldandy said, putting the dish away to the side so the servants could deal with it.
> 
> "Oh come _on_. He can take care of himself. He's a mature adult, is he not? Come, come. Let's talk about what we've been doing since we last met," Athena said, dragging Belldandy into a heated discussion. 
> 
> Every Greek immortal who was in Heaven had joined in the discussion, which lasted for a couple of hours—which meant that Keiichi was to be alone for an entire week. Time went faster on the mortal realm, but Belldandy was enjoying every single minute of it. However, Keiichi was forced to return to his old ways of getting his stomach satisfied: instant noodles and take-out food.
> 
> *****
> 
> Brett and Urd came back from their vacation to find the temple a total disaster area (chaos, really). They found Keiichi still working on the bike (rather unhappily) but they could find no trace of Belldandy or Skuld. Urd, quite angry at Belldandy for leaving Keiichi that long, stormed to heaven and broke the discussion by literally dragging Belldandy back to the mortal realm while the others watched with wide eyes. It was the first time Belldandy ever apologized to Keiichi. Keiichi was just glad he wouldn't have to eat another meal of instant noodles and take-out food.
> 
> *****
> 
> Back in Bali, the two young and gorgeous goddesses were busy getting the perfect tan as well as talking about their own relationships with the other. However, some male mortals had the nerve of blocking the precious sun rays so they could ask them out. They were dealt with and turned into coconuts (literally). Anyone walking by them would wonder why there were so many coconuts next to them and thought that they were going nuts. [note: no puns intended]
> 
> "So what do you think I should do, Rhi?" Skuld asked as she looked at the other goddess, turning towards her.
> 
> "Well, if you have enough boy problems, find a girl," Rhi said, grinning. Skuld laughed at this notion. It wasn't a bad idea, really, but Skuld wasn't sure she could accept that just yet.
> 
> "You think that's easy? I don't think I've fallen in love with one yet!" Skuld said.
> 
> "Tell you what: why don't I go back to the temple with you as your girlfriend and you've got all your problems solved," Rhi said in a small voice. She was getting tired of this discussion and she wanted to have a nap before she had to turn over.
> 
> "…That's not funny. By the way, who _was_ that girl you were in love with?" Skuld asked Rhi. There was no response from her. Rhi seemed to have fallen asleep. Skuld sighed, shrugged, and went back to reading her quantum-mechanics book. She had a lot of catching up on her reading to do. There was no knowing how much the mortals had advanced already if she didn't keep up with what they knew and discovered.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Skuld, how could you do this to me?" Kenji moaned outloud to no one in particular. He was upset, maybe even angry that Skuld had left without saying goodbye to him. After all, he _was_ her friend, wasn't he?
> 
> "Kenji? Who or what is Skuld?" the voice of his mother said right behind him. Kenji froze and sighed. It was definitely _not_ a good week.
> 
> "She's this girl I met, Mom, at Keiichi's temple. She's the sister of Keiichi's girlfriend, who often stops by the temple," Kenji said, hoping that his mother would believe just this one lie.
> 
> "Really? What's she like? How come you sound so sad about her?" Kenji's mother said, sitting down next to him on the table, where he was supposed to be doing his homework.
> 
> "She's nice and pretty. Intelligent, too. Her sister says she doesn't know where she is. I'm kind of worried about her," Kenji admitted, blushing. His mother smiled inwardly at this. *I hope she's a nice Japanese girl who'll be a good housewife…*
> 
> "She'll be back. After all, there's still you around," his mother said smiling to him. He smiled back and knew at the back of his head that she was probably right.
> 
> ***** END OF CHAPTER 3 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: The reason why Kenji's mother wants Kenji to associate with a Japanese girl is because of the stereotype that Skuld probably will never understand how a Japanese housewife should be because she is a gaijin. Kenji's mother, in many ways, is pretty much old-fashioned. Sorry if this offends some people, but some Japanese _do_ think like that. I figured that Belldandy was probably bored to hell just going with Keiichi and wasn't willing to admit it until Skuld left to be alone. I don't think she's being out of character. Rather, this situation is more realistic in my opinion. Valkries are also goddesses, but since they are associated with death mortals have thought them to be angels of death or something like that--hence the different name. There _are_ such beings in the Viking myths although they might not be godesses. I like the way Rhi keeps trying to avoid Skuld's questions about her affections towards the mysterious person...and yes, she _will_ be revealed in the next chapter.  Click [here][7] to go the previous chapter.   
Click [here][8] to go to the next chapter.   
See the author's [comments/notes][9] on 'Ai Shiteru.'   
Back to the '[Ai Shiteru'][10] page.   
Back to my [Fanfiction][11] page, where you will explore other various things I've written.   
Back to [icezer230's][12] Animanga Pages (the front page). 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [6]: ai1.html
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   [10]: aishiteru.html
   [11]: fanfic.html
   [12]: index.html



	4. Love Hurts

"Ai Shiteru"--Chapter IV: Love Hurts

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF 
> 
> This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][5]. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. If you haven't read [chapter 1][6], please do so. 
> 
> *****
> 
> Skuld woke up in the middle of the night and found that she could not get to sleep again. Sighing, she rose from her bed and wandered off to the bathroom so she could perhaps relieve herself. She looked at her watch and it read 3:05 AM. She then trudged back to her bed and tried to go to sleep. Rhiana seemed to be having dreams, as her eyelids were fluttering and she seemed to be saying something.
> 
> Suddenly interested in what Rhi was dreaming, Skuld edged closer to Rhi and leaned in on the sometimes-incoherent whispers in her dreams. She hoped she would figure out who that girl Rhi had a crush on was so she'd know when she saw her. What she heard sent chills up to her spine.
> 
> "Skuld, I love you!" Rhi's voice murmured in a barely audible voice. After a few more moments, Rhi stopped moaning and the room became eerily silent.
> 
> "There's always more where that came from."   
--Kender motto (Mary Kirchoff)   

> 
> **CHAPTER IV: LOVE HURTS**
> 
> Hearing those four words, Skuld swallowed the spit that had somehow accumulated in her mouth and walked out of the hotel room they stayed in after changing into a jeans and T-shirt. She needed to think…alone. It was too much to bear on her. *Rhi? In love with me? I thought I had the largest love problems anyone could have before. Now _this_ comes up! How am I going to face myself?*
> 
> She never had a girl liking her before. Sure, as friends but…never _that_ kind of love. It both puzzled and amazed her that she could somehow be _that_ attractive. She had attracted 2 guys and a girl to herself, hadn't she? Sighing, she walked heavily downstairs to the 24-hour bar where she might get something to clear her mind. It would have to be something strong. Things had gotten far too complicated for her own liking.
> 
> *****
> 
> Chia-Yao sighed as he poured himself another cup of sake. It was his 29th bottle and he still wasn't happy. He sure wasn't going to give up now. *Why is life so miserable and complicated?* he thought to no one but himself. His vision had doubled but his feelings were sad. Perhaps the alcohol had even magnified that feeling tenfold.
> 
> "Chia-Yao?" Syliana, his sister called out. Chia-Yao spoke out the command that allowed her to access his pocket-dimension. He was in no mood to receive guests but if Syliana had came, it was definitely something important. He knew how busy the Goddess of Mystery was. After all, nothing was truly what it seemed in this world. He found that out himself easily enough. *Ain't that the truth…* he thought sarcastically.
> 
> "Over here, Syl. Over here," he slurred out at his sister. *Maybe the alcohol's finally getting to me* he thought and looked at the bottles he had finished. *Definitely* he added as an afterthought. Sylvia entered the room he was in (a living room) and was astonished at the number of sake bottles he had downed already.
> 
> "Wow I knew you were depressed but I didn't know _how_ depressed! Gee, I guess I was right about you and Skuld after all…" Syl commented dryly as she surveyed the rest of the damage.
> 
> "What do you mean, you were right about us?" Chia-Yao said suspiciously.
> 
> "I had a hunch about you two. After all, you two _did_ work better together…" Syl said.
> 
> "Did you know about Kenji too? You certainly kept that secret well from me!" he said angrily. He knew he was just firing at her for no apparent reason but couldn't do anything about it since he was drunk. Very drunk, in fact.
> 
> "Being the Goddess of Mystery doesn't give me the privilege to ruin the love life of my brother, okay? Calm down and let's talk about it…" she argued back, calming down afterwards.
> 
> "What do you want to know?" Chia-Yao asked in a slurred voice. He then lifted another cup of sake to his lips and sipped it. Syl frowned at this but said nothing.
> 
> "I know everything but I know nothing. Tell me about her, Chia-Yao. Tell me how you became infatuated with her. What made you love her? It'll make you feel better," Syl's voice echoed in Chia-Yao's ears, almost like a command. At this, Chia-Yao seemed to smile sadly and he poured himself some more sake.
> 
> "As you know, Skuld and I were good friends since we were small. When we grew up, we still stuck together. After all, we were geniuses. I remember there was another genius that hung around us as well, but she was more Skuld's friend than mine… Rhiana was her name, I think.
> 
> The three of us would play together and we grew up together. We experienced things together that created a link between the three of us. The bond that I shared with Skuld slowly grew into love, I guess… I always wanted to confide to her about my feelings but I guess I chose the wrong time to do it," he said, looking off into a large painting of Syliana, Tlesta, and him when they were still together. That was also the time where he, Skuld, and Rhiana were together.
> 
> "Well that proves my point, you casanova. So who's this Rhiana person? What's she like? I never heard of your friends since I was so busy with my job…" she said.
> 
> "Well she was pretty…actually, she was beautiful when you think about it. I don't know where she is right now but I could go check the records and find out. We lost track of her when she moved out of Skuld's division into another section. I guess we were all too busy doing our jobs right we didn't think it'd really matter much if we didn't see each other for a couple of centuries at least," Chia-yao shrugged indifferentially. 
> 
> Syl hid a small smile. She nodded to her brother and walked off to find her own pocket dimension. *I hope Chia-Yao doesn't kill me for messing up his love life. I'll just have to bluff my way through not having such an assignment. Kami-sama, why do you give me the craziest assignments? Though I must admit, they certainly _are_ interesting…* Chia-Yao just sighed and continued his drinking.
> 
> *****
> 
> Rhiana woke up to find Skuld gone. She wasn't on her bed sleeping like she was supposed to. She wasn't in the bathroom, she checked that already. Confused, Rhiana changed into her usual attire and went downstairs to see if she could find Skuld. *Why in the world is Skuld gone?*
> 
> Once she went down, she noticed her friend sitting at the 24-hour bar drinking some beer in an unusual T-shirt and jeans and talking with the bartender while she laughed her head off. Skuld's face was beet red, but that was only natural with how many mugs of beer she had drank (Rhiana had counted 12 so far--they were on the counter). Frowning, she took a seat next to her. Skuld noticed her but said nothing.
> 
> As the two were barely above the legal age limit they could drink what they wanted. Rhiana picked out some out-of-the-way wine but Skuld was surprised that the bartender actually had it in stock. They looked at each other in the eye but said nothing. After a moment of silence, Rhiana decided to break it.
> 
> "So why are you down here drinking beer like water without telling me?" she asked quietly, staring at her own drink the bartender had brought her. The bartender had to attend to other customers, mostly foreigners as well, so they had a little privacy. A jazzy tune was playing from the distant juke box at the other side of the room.
> 
> Skuld said nothing, merely taking another big gulp at her beer. *At the rate she's been drinking beer, she should be unconscious by now!* Rhi thought to herself. Skuld smiled sadly at her and closed her eyes.
> 
> "I couldn't sleep. I figured that since I look like an adult now I should be acting like one," Skuld said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. *I really hate lying to her like this but it's for both of us*
> 
> "So you think drowning your sorrows with beer is acting like an adult? Skuld…" Rhi said, looking concernedly at her, touching her shoulder. *Should I tell her my feelings towards her… No, I can't bear her turning me down…* 
> 
> Skuld flinched at her touch but she did nothing to stop Rhi. She knew if she did she would have hurt her friend's feelings. She didn't know what to do. Rhi noticed this and said nothing. She took her hand away and finished her wine in silence while listening to the acid jazz tunes played by the juke box.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Bell, do you think we should start looking for Skuld now?" Urd asked out of nowhere. Urd had been staring at the TV screen for half an hour. Belldandy was making some tea. As usual, Keiichi was at the motorclub. Brett had some afternoon classes so he was at the Nekomi Tech campus.
> 
> "She will come back when she has made her decision," Belldandy replied to her older sister. She looked up from her work and noticed Urd staring at her straight in the eyes.
> 
> "What if there was a huge virus in the system? We have to find her, or at least know where she is!" Urd complained. Urd had found that during the last week she had actually missed the little brat she had for a sister. She missed the little bouts they had, because that was how she knew she could say to her she cared for her.
> 
> "You miss her, don't you?" Belldandy said, right on.
> 
> "Yeah. Strange, isn't it?" Urd said, blushing.
> 
> "It is not a crime to miss those who you love," Belldandy said, straightening out her dress before she sat down at the table. Urd switched off the TV and sat down with her. She took a bite off a cookie and sighed.
> 
> "But don't tell her I did, ok? She would laugh at me until the end of time," Urd said, smiling sadly at that thought. Belldandy smiled as well.
> 
> "I won't. What do you think she's doing right now?" Belldandy asked, changing the subject.
> 
> "Well, I found out that she's with Rhiana somewhere in the mortal world. God knows what those two geniuses are doing. They're probably working on some sort of machine that will widen a pocket dimension or something like that," Urd said, not knowing that her guesses had already been accomplished. She continued, "But I think she's on some island trying to fix her love life. That's what _I_ would do
> 
> "Do you think Kenji has a chance to win her heart?" Belldandy asked quietly.
> 
> "Belldandy, I honestly know he does. But…a mortal like him? He does not fit the qualifications your Keiichi does. He is…how can I say this, different. He knows not our position," Urd said, reverting to the old language. She always did when she was frustrated or confused.
> 
> "I hear and understand. Our positions will be in jeopardy if he chooses to reveal it to someone else," Belldandy said, suddenly reverting to the old language as well. She didn't want anyone to overhear their private conversation like this. Especially a mortal.
> 
> "Does Keiichi know everything about our position?" Urd asked.
> 
> "No. If he does, he will know too much," Belldandy replied hastily. She really did not want to kill him—it would make him go crazy if he knew that the three had caused so much suffering as much as pleasure in this realm.
> 
> "It is just as well," Urd replied quietly, and they left it at that. They started talking about less important matters and soon the Japanese temple was filled with laughter as they remembered the time Keiichi had been granted another wish and a certain female goddess had stayed at the temple and practically wrecked it while she was there.
> 
> *****
> 
> Kenji sneezed suddenly in the middle of his nap. He sat up and looked around to see what had caused him to wake up but he couldn't find any. *Some one must be talking about me…* he grumbled. He tried going back to sleep but found he couldn't.
> 
> Kenji had been hit by nearly every single blackboard eraser in the school. He had been daydreaming about Skuld and he found it really hard to concentrate even at home. His parents pitied him but scolded him about having such an early relationship with a girl. He hadn't even graduated from high school yet! In fact, it was his last year. If his report card was bad at the end of the semester, it was nearly certain that the good universities in Japan would not have accepted him.
> 
> "Skuld, wherever you are in this world, I hope you are safe. I hope you're happy. Whatever your decision is when you come back, I know I'm going to accept it. If you choose me, I swear I'm going to make your life the happiest woman in the world!" Kenji vowed. He even got to the point of jumping off his bed and standing at the last word. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the low ceiling and his head was soon flooded by a series of pains.
> 
> He clutched his head and swore obscenities before going out of his room and searching for a bag of ice to lessen his pain. His mother had heard his yell and the string of obscenities and just shook her head. She sympathized her son for being such a love fool. *Just like his father* she thought, though not unfondly.
> 
> *****
> 
> Rhi had to help carry Skuld back to the room. After that bout of silence, Skuld had challenged Rhi to a beer-drinking contest. A few other mortals had joined them but Rhi could take her liquor well--better than Skuld, apparently. Since Skuld had an earlier start than she had, she had lost. She was happy and tipsy afterwards, of course, and soon began her slumber with a loud snore. 
> 
> Rhi sighed after she put Skuld back on the bed. She tucked her in and pulled out her laptop, just in case there was an urgent message for her from kami-sama or her brother. After all, she wasn't about to leave her job just like that. It was too risky. The world depended on her and her brother as much as the world depended on the Norns to keep things stable.
> 
> She was surprised to find a message left by Kami-sama which summoned to his office as soon as possible. She looked at Skuld sleeping soundly on her left and sighed. Then she left to see her Father after writing a note to her friend explaining her disappearance.
> 
> After arriving in Heaven, she hurried to His office and doors opened for her. She kneeled on one knee and bowed her head low in respect to her Father and leader. Moments later, she was out of His office with the most important assignment of her career, and a smile on her face. 
> 
> She went back to the hotel and left another note, carefully crumpling up the old one. It had taken every single ounce of willpower to write the new one. She looked at Skuld and longed to be with her, but she couldn't. She had duties now, and she would have to finish them first. Then with a flash of bright red light, she was gone, leaving the peaceful Skuld to sleep like there was no tomorrow.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Skuld! Look what I found!" a smaller, younger version of Rhi had said when Chia-yao, Skuld, and Rhi had gone to the beach as children. Rhi held a large conch in her right hand and she was waving it like a flag. Her face was lit up and she was grinning.
> 
> "What is it?" a smaller, younger version of Chia-Yao asked as well to Rhi. He had never seen something like that in his entire educational career, but he wasn't about to give up on learning. He still had a long way to go.
> 
> "I know what it is!" Skuld saw a smaller, child-like version of herself leaping and running towards them.
> 
> "What is it?" Rhi asked, curiously, echoing Chia-yao's question.
> 
> "It's a conch! You can blow into it and it'll make a sound, or you can put your ear right next to it and you'll hear the ocean!" Skuld said. She knew this from her elder sister, Urd. Urd had been experimenting with getting the perfect tan and she had gone to the beach for that reason.
> 
> "You're right! I _can_ hear the ocean!" Chia-Yao said as he took the conch from Rhi's hands and lifted it to his ear.
> 
> "You stupid! You can hear the ocean here because we're at the beach! If you take it back, you can always hear the ocean!" Skuld said as a matter-of-factly.
> 
> "Oh. Oopsie," Chia-yao said, blushing.
> 
> "Let me try blowing it," Rhi said, taking the conch from Chia-Yao. She fiddled it for a moment and soon found the blow hole. She took a big breath, her chest rising with the amount of air in her young lungs, and blew as hard as she could. Unfortunately, she blew it right at Chia-Yao. 
> 
> He was a little deaf after that, but he quickly snatched it away from Rhi and started blowing into it himself. It echoed from the cliffs they stood on and they could hear it coming back from the faraway waves, amid the cries of seagulls. They watched the sun go down hand in hand, sitting at the edge of the cliff, until darkness consumed them.
> 
> Skuld opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She remembered everything in the dream, which was unusual since she usually couldn't remember what happened. She started remembering the events that occurred last night, and realized that she should be having a hangover, but she didn't.
> 
> She looked to the right, where Rhi's bed was but found it empty. She blinked a few times and looked towards the direction of the bathroom. There was no noise coming from it. She looked back to the other bed and found that there was a note on the little table right next to her. She picked up and gazed at it, wondering what that little note would mean after she read it.
> 
> ***** END OF CHAPTER 4 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: Hey, how's Rhi's confession for a start? I figured that the dream was the cleanest way to show that Rhi was trying to make Skuld her friend but not scare her into thinking that she wants some commitment. Skuld and Chia-Yao get drunk, even though in Skuld's situation it takes a little bit more for her to do so. Why? They think alike. Yes, so there _is_ a similarity between Skuld and Urd. Poor ol' Kenji's still alone and he's falling deeper and getting even more lost into that abyss of love. Well, I'm sorry if it sounds like he's being neglected once again but he still has other friends to turn to. I just couldn't be bothered to put them in here since it didn't really contribute to the plot. The very last part is actually Skuld revisiting her past with Chia-Yao and Rhi. I figured that it was a nice addition to the series since I was very vague on their past. You can either read the side story or chapter 5 next. Chapter 5 skips Skuld's travels, which is basically what the side story/interlude is about.  Click [here][7] to go the previous chapter.   
Click [here][8] to go to the side story, which picks off where chapter 4 leaves off. Chapter 5 can be read without reading the side story, but it would be advisable if you read it to understand further plot development.   
Click [here][9] to go to the next chapter.   
See the author's [comments/notes][10] on 'Ai Shiteru.'   
Back to the '[Ai Shiteru'][11] page.   
Back to my [Fanfiction][12] page, where you will explore other various things I've written.   
Back to [icezer230's][13] Animanga Pages (the front page). 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
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   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [6]: ai1.html
   [7]: ai3.html
   [8]: side.html
   [9]: ai5.html
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   [11]: aishiteru.html
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   [13]: index.html



	5. The Unspoken Journey Part 1: The End of ...

The Unspoken Journey Part 1: The End of Innocence

> ****
> 
> "The Unspoken Journey"   
An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Tenchi-Muyo x-over 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: icezer230@yahoo.com (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html 
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS 
> 
> This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the 'Oh! My God!' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a Brett Handy) and have been used with permission. 
> 
> The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of Ed Sharpe. The characters true to Tenchi Muyo belong to the illustrator(s) and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read chapter 1, please read it! Warning: This fanfic contains some pretty dark elements. There are some sexual references, but I wouldn't count this even as a lime. 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Dear Skuld, when you find and read this letter, you'll probably know that I'm not there. I am afraid that Duty has called once more--I have been summoned by Kami-sama. For what, I do not know and do not question Him for he is the Almighty. I wonder about your actions at the bar tonight but since you are not with me to answer my questions, they will have to go unanswered for the moment. 
> 
> You may or may not know this, but I care for you, Skuld, more than you know. I am in love with you. I am in love with who you are, and I have loved you for a long time--I do not know when I had started. I had to conceal my feelings for you, keeping in mind that if I did, you might have turned me away and scorned me forever and ever. You are a beautiful, charming goddess and I really treasure you as a friend. That is why I have not told you all these years in the hopes that this feeling would diminish when I find another. 
> 
> When I saw you again, I saw that this wish of mine would not be true. My longing for you only grew even more and now I cannot bear, for the good of both of us, to leave you without telling you how I feel about you. I do not know what you will say about this, but I know you will be very confused and angry at me for not telling you earlier. If we are not meant to be, I will be more than willing to be your friend. I am sorry to put a heavier burden and another decision on your shoulders but I thought it would be better if you knew. 
> 
> I now travel back to the Heavens in the hopes that you will forgive me for what I have done. I hope you will visit me and tell me of your decision when you decide to return from your journey. I would have gone away tomorrow anyway, for I know that you must travel this dangerous and mysterious path alone. I, too, had to travel such a path and I came back a changed Goddess. I hope that you will survive and change for the better. With this, I take my leave. May Kami-sama bless you with his Divine Insight and keep you out of harm's way. Love, Rhiana," Skuld read aloud once she unfolded the piece of paper she found. 
> 
> Her eyes were dry when she had first read it but she found herself unable to stop the tears that streamed out of them when she was done. Wiping them dry with the sleeves of her pajamas, she looked out the window at the full moon and held the letter close to her heart. She would visit Rhiana someday, she vowed, and she would straighten things out with her. With that, she flopped back on her and continued her slumber peacefully. 
> 
> "How do you know when you are there?   
When you don't have to ask that question anymore."   
--unknown 
> 
> **PART 1: THE END OF INNOCENCE**
> 
> After a week of trying to get a tan (and failing miserably because of the boys that kept bothering her), she decided to go to Alps, where she could learn how to ski. After a week and due to the overexposure of the sun in such high altitudes, she finally got her tan (looking a little more like Urd--although she wouldn't admit it for the world) and her hair was tinged to a brown (which attracted even more boys to her side, for some unknown reason). 
> 
> At the end of the week, she found snowboarding to be more exciting than skiing (actually, she fell a lot less by snowboarding) and learnt a couple of tricks from some female snowboarder friends just a little older than her. She joined a local open and won first prize on the female half-pipes, qualifying for the international snowboarding championships that would take place a few months later. Her friends (who got first and second runner up) were so happy for (and proud of) her they invited her to France after the championships, so that they could see the sights and sounds. She agreed. 
> 
> After her friends departed for their own countries, she started to hone her own skills so that she could perform well in the championships. In the middle of her run, her watch started beeping loudly and she had to stop. She looked at it and frowned. *There was an energy abnormality near here... Maybe I should check it out... It IS my duty as the debugger...* she thought. 
> 
> Her mind set, she went to investigate, trudging the snow on her snowboarding boots and carrying her board with her right hand. Eyeing her energy radar on her watch, she followed the energy until she was right in front of it. She looked up but could see nothing. Not even a ripple of the abnormality. She sighed. *Maybe I should fix this watch... I haven't serviced it in a month!* she thought. She took a step forward to head back to her lodge but her foot was caught in something. 
> 
> She looked down. She was caught in a quick-sand like vortex! Cursing quietly, she tried to use her board to get back to where she was. No luck. Her hands were also being caught by the vortex. If she tried to call for someone, she would have to erase their memory (which she knew wouldn't last very long) and it would only waste her energy. The vortex soon swallowed her near her neck and she had no other choice but to do one thing. Soon the Alps were echoing a woman's high-pitched scream. Hers. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "AAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAA!!!!! Shit!" Skuld swore as she landed hard on her back. She had landed in some patches of grass (luckily) so the fall was not as hard as it would have if she had landed on ice. She had a couple of deep cuts and bruises from falling through branches but that was about it. *Geez, they sting!* she thought to herself, touching one experimentally. 
> 
> Feeling hot in her snowboarding suit, she quickly unzipped a part of her jacket (leaving a bit to the imagination) and took off her gloves. She quickly felt the heat nearly burning her alive. Luckily she wore some shoes inside her boots so she took her boots off and tied her hair back so that she could see better in this heat. 
> 
> "An unknown jungle. Just great!" Skuld muttered to no one in particular. She pushed back the left sleeve of her jacket to reveal a highly sophisticated (and fashionable) watch, which was supposed to let her know where she was. Unfortunately, it seemed that the watch had gone crazy since it kept spinning numbers she didn't know had existed. 
> 
> "Damn! Must have ruined it during my fall!" she swore again. *Maybe I should whip myself a little something cooler* she thought as she started chanting the words to make her appearance change. Nothing happened, however. She just stood there wide-eyed for a moment and tried chanting again. Nothing happened again. She spotted a lake nearby so she ran to it and looked at her reflection. No marks, nothing! 
> 
> "Shit! How am I supposed to get out of this place _now_?" Skuld groaned. She sighed and put a hand to her forehead. *Lost, out of place, with no supplies, and no one around...* she thought to herself. *I should have never looked for that abnormal energy reading!* 
> 
> Suddenly, she heard a rustle from the bush behind her. She quickly turned around, her right hand already reaching back for her mini-hammer (she never left the house without one). Something tackled her and she found herself face to face with a light-blue-haired woman, who was...hugging her with eyes closed? She blushed, thinking of Rhiana, and tried to get away from the woman. 
> 
> "Wait a minute, Tenchi doesn't have breasts! You're not Tenchi! Who are you and what are you doing here!" the red-haired woman yelled out, calling out a lightsaber-like weapon as she released Skuld and got into a fighting stance. *Did the mortals have such energy already?* Skuld thought to herself. She backed herself into a tree. 
> 
> "I-I'm lost! My name's Skuld and I come from Japan! What is this place and who are you?" Skuld replied, taking her own weapon into her own hand. 
> 
> "I don't believe you. I haven't heard of such a place! You must be a spy from the intergallactic police, out to capture me! Well you'll never get me without a fight!" the woman snarled, attacking. Skuld could only avoid her attacks by a hairwidth. *This is NOT very good... I don't have my powers, and this insane woman's attacking me without any good reason!* she thought, cursing silently. *Shit, good thing I know a few defense moves...* 
> 
> "Damn it! Why can't you believe me?" Skuld yelled and attacked back at the woman. 
> 
> "Well, you're wearing a space-suit of somekind!" she said as the battle raged on. Trees were falling down around them from the woman's attacks and there were large deep holes made from Skuld's hammer. 
> 
> "This ISN'T a spacesuit! It's a snowboarding suit!" Skuld replied angrily. *Geez this girl hasn't gone out a lot, has she?* she thought. Then her eyes widened. The girl she was fighting was flying! *What the hell!?* she cursed. 
> 
> "I bet snowboarding's some sort of spy art!" the woman sneered, ready to attack some more. 
> 
> "W-why are you flying?" Skuld said, dropping her hammer onto the floor. She had never seen a mortal fly before, and certainly not on Earth! They didn't have the technology to do so yet! 
> 
> "...Wait a minute! You should be familiar with the concept of me flying! You're not a spy, are you!?" the woman realized, dropping her sword as well, her eyes widening. There was a blush to her face, a little ashamed that she had gotten the wrong idea right from the start and was too stubborn to admit it. 
> 
> "No, I'm not! That's what I've been trying to say for the last 30 minutes!" Skuld replied, exasperatedly. She sighed and winced as she accidentally brushed one of her cuts. The woman evidently saw that and became concerned. 
> 
> "You should get that fixed. I'll take you back to where I live for the moment, come on. Where is this...Japan you were talking about? I'm Ryoko. Being a space-pirate, I know a million places but I've never even heard of that place!" the woman who called herself Ryoko said, nearly dragging Skuld along with her through the bushes. 
> 
> "Japan's...on Earth. Where am I?" Skuld replied, puzzled at the fact that Ryoko didn't know where it was. 
> 
> "You're on Tenchi's backwater planet, that's where you are. I don't know that fascinates Tenchi so much to make him stay here and I sure as hell wouldn't like to know. This place is as backward as the Dark Ages," Ryoko commented darkly as they walked along, Skuld in the tow. 
> 
> "You haven't explained to me why you can fly..." Skuld said in an uncertain voice. 
> 
> "...And go through walls, and release such huge energy. You forgot that part. I'm partially cyborg, created by Washuu to be the greatest warrior in the universe. Unfortunately, I believe she had something wrong in her calculations. She put her OWN DNA to form...me," Ryoko muttered. 
> 
> "So does that mean you're the only one who can go through walls, release such huge energy, and fly?" Skuld asked. 
> 
> "Nope, there's a lot of people that can release such energy levels, even Tenchi. Others are protected by magic and all that shit so I can't really say much about that. Other cyborgs, depending on their versions, can also fly. I can't really say I'm unique," Ryoko said in a sad way. 
> 
> "Why do you say that? Surely other cyborgs don't...uh...LOVE like you do. You nearly squeezed me to death back there," Skuld said in a sarcastic manner. Indeed, her ribs were a little sore from the 'hug.' 
> 
> "I'll accept that as a compliment....er...uh...Skuld, but you better watch it. I don't like my Tenchi being insulted in that manner," Ryoko said, her fiery red eyes glittered dangerously. However, the smile on her lips took the sting away. 
> 
> "Who is...Tenchi, anyway?" Skuld wondered, her curiosity getting to her. 
> 
> "Tenchi? He's the nicest guy around, but he sure IS a girl-magnet! He saves damsels in distress nearly half his lifetime, he makes everyone fall in love with him, and I hear he's going to be king in the future. Who knows?" Ryoko said, nearly spitting the words out. *Gee, I feel sorry for her...* Skuld thought. 
> 
> "You...haven't found anyone else worthy of your....devotion?" Skuld ventured. 
> 
> "...I did. Once. That's over now," Ryoko said quickly. This time, Skuld knew she shouldn't venture further, as that was the limit. The conversation ended there and they continued through the ever-seemingly never-ending forest growth. As they walked on and on, Skuld began to wonder if that was how her 'admirers' back home thought of her. She sighed, shook her head, and continued on. Ryoko noticed this change in manner but kept silent. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Ryoko? Is that you? Who's that with you? Have you been fighting again without my permission?" a short, wild (in the same fashion as Ryoko's) and red-haired woman called out from the steps out in front of the house. 
> 
> "Yes, Washu, it's me and I've been fighting. This is Skuld. She comes from...Japan, where ever that is," Ryoko scowled. Skuld could see a resemblance between the two but it seemed as if the shorter one had a little more wit. 
> 
> "Japan? Where have I heard that place before?" the little Washu wondered, tilting her head as she ran her memories through her mind. Her eyes widened and snapped her fingers as if she remembered something. 
> 
> "Do you remember something about it, Washu?" Ryoko asked, puzzled. Skuld noticed the fact that even though Washu was technically Ryoko's mom, she didn't call her 'mom,' for one reason or another. 
> 
> "Yes, yes. You must be...from Earth, dimension 89-R4?...Are you in any way related to Brett Handy or Urd?" Washu asked, raising an eyebrow. 
> 
> "You...know them?" Skuld asked, flabbergasted completely. 
> 
> "She's...a relative? Isn't she a little young to be...UMPH!" Ryoko replied, only to be cut off by Washu's hand. 
> 
> "Watch your mouth, Ryoko! So you're a Goddess, a megami? What's your relation to Urd or Brett anyway?" Washu inquired. 
> 
> "I am Skuld, Goddess of the Future. I am the youngest sister of Urd, the Goddess of the Past," Skuld said, bowing as she introduced herself once more. The other two bowed as well in accordance and introduced themselves as well. 
> 
> After healing Skuld's wounds with Washu's regeneration machine (and after the two geniuses had conferred on which things would reduce the energy needed to do such work), they started getting to know each other. It became inevitable that Skuld told the two women about her love problems and they symphatized with her since Ryoko told her about her own. They had been in similar situations, but not as bad. Washu was silently determined to help Skuld out and then began a secret experiment which went on late into the night... 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "And now, ladies and cabbit, I present to you my greatest masterpiece, the Love-Teller 2000, Version 1.0. I will take any questions from the audience before I pull someone out of the audience to test this prototype!" Washu exclaimed, pulling on the white sheets to reveal a chair, lots of machinery at the back, and a large sophisticated-looking screen on top of the machine. There was a really big spray-painted sign 'Love-Teller 2000' on the sides of the machine. 
> 
> "...Um, what does it do?" Ryoko asked, making Washu face-vault. 
> 
> "Did I forget to tell you what it does? Oops, must have forgotten to do so in my haste. Not to worry though! This grand masterpiece of a machine reads the person's mind and tells everyone through that screen on who he/she is being chased by and who is *really* suited for him/her," Washu said in a rush, afterwards trying to catch up on her breath. 
> 
> "Are you *certain* this thing will work properly?" Skuld said in an uncertain tone. She had heard from Ryoko that a LOT of Washu's experiments had rather unfortunate accidents, and she didn't really feel like being the guinea pig right now. 
> 
> "I believe that this machine will do its job. Who wants to go first?" Washu asked, an evil glint in her eye (not unlike a mad scientist). Skuld and Ryoko backed up to a wall and Ryoko was lucky to be able to go through it. Skuld was the only one left and Washu had to have her 'assistants' drag her onto the machine and bind her to the chair before Skuld didn't try to run away. 
> 
> "Now...For the actual test!" Washu said, pulling several levers and pushing some buttons on the machine itself. Skuld felt the seat tremor for a while and suddenly she saw something big engulf her head. Darkness surrounded her as she tried to turn her head (she found she couldn't because of the thing holding her head in place). She struggled against the rope bonds, but to no avail. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. It was as if the air was sucked out against her, and she was floating. In a matter of seconds, she went into a level beyond unconsciousness. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Hey Skuld, can you take care of Toshi for me just a little while? I need to go to the bathroom," the familiar voice of Urd requested. *Toshi...?* she wondered. She opened her eyes and looked down. There was a cute little baby with short silvery hair being shoved into her hands. It was crying a little bit and even though she tried everything she could to soothe it, nothing seemed to work. 
> 
> "Uh..." Skuld mumbled as she just held the baby as it cried. 
> 
> "After 5 months of staying with Toshi and you _still_ don't know how to take care of a baby? Sometimes I _wonder_ about you, Skuld. Come on, give Toshi to me," Belldandy said as Skuld handed the baby over. Skuld blinked for a while. Did Belldandy look older or was it just her eyes? *I really _should_ get them checked sometime...* she thought. 
> 
> "Hey, aren't you going to get ready to dine with Kenji soon? It's almost time, you know..." Keiichi's voice said, making her turn her head. *Yup, I need to get my eyes checked. He looks like he's in his 30s and he's starting to get wrinkles!* she thought miserably. She wanted to rub her eyes but found that something hard was in the way. *I wear glasses? Shit, something's really wierd around here...* 
> 
> "Almost time for what?" Skuld could hear her reply to Keiichi. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Skuld strangely. 
> 
> "Are you feeling all right, Skuld? You don't look so good..." Keiichi remarked, feeling Skuld's forehead. "...but you don't have a fever, that's for sure. I thought you two were supposed to see the concert tonight? Are you still going or not?" 
> 
> "Um...I almost forgot!?" Skuld said nervously. *Am I in the future?* she thought, trying to make sense of where she was. 
> 
> "Geez! You've been boasting about this concert since three months ago when you hacked yourself and Kenji some tickets! Did you just hit yourself in the head or something? Come on, you're going to be late if you don't hurry! Kenji said he'd pick you up at 6:30, didn't he? It's already 6:00!" Keiichi said, pushing Skuld to her room. 
> 
> Well, it _looked_ like her room from the outside. *What _happened_ to this place?* she thought as she saw all the changes. No longer there were the many experiments that she had created over the years. Banpei-kun's power outage wasn't even there! Just more high-tech wizardry that made her room look out of this world, and...teenage-looking? She saw the magazines piled all over the floor and they were all the glossy-type teenage/girl magazines. 
> 
> *When did I start reading _those_?* she asked herself as she made a disgusted face. She saw an opened magazine and the headline was...and that was as far as she went. She blushed furiously and slammed the magazine shut. *Wow! Well, at least I know _why_ I read them!* 
> 
> Then she wandered around her room some more until she found a lap-top on her work-desk. She opened it and typed in her login and password. Suddenly, a holographic image of her...(well not exactly _her_, the one with the glasses, and certainly looking much older) appeared and gave a little bow and a sad smile. 
> 
> "Greetings, my past counterpart. Yes, you are in the future and you are probably wondering why you are here. This is pre-recorded so I cannot answer the questions I know you will want to ask. Besides, don't you need to get ready for the date with Kenji? 
> 
> I can tell you a few things right off the bat: you don't have your powers and you don't have your hammer. Ever since your powers manifested, you did not have the need to use you hammer and you literally threw yours away along with your other...er...toys. But since you don't know how to use your newly manifested powers, I'm afraid you're rendered useless. 
> 
> Anyway, you're about to encounter Kenji tonight at a dinner meeting. You have not told him about your true state as Goddess and this will the night where you confess. Why tonight? Because you love him more than anything, and you want more out of your relationship. He has just graduated and he planned to propose to you tonight. But before you can say yes, you must explain to him your position. 
> 
> Something terrible will happen later on tonight. I know it. I've been through it and now it is time for you to go through it. I ask you, when you return to your world, to stop your relationship with Kenji, before it gets to this stage. There must not be more future suffering. You will understand why I say this later...And Skuld? Be strong," Skuld said, holding out a fist and shaking it. Then with a wave of her hand, the hologram ended. 
> 
> Skuld just sat there, listening to all of this, not knowing what to do. *What does this have to do with my powers?* 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> The hologram's words were true. Things had _certainly_ not gone well. She had gone along and had dinner with Kenji. She noticed a few things: he looked older, wiser, and their relationship was _much_ closer than she would have ever thought (an unpleasant incident in the car which made both Skuld and Kenji a little embarassed for going so far revealed just how close they had become). 
> 
> Then, after the concert (during dinner, that is), she had decided to tell her what she was. He just looked at her and laughed his head off. Then, when he realized that what she was saying was true, he left the restaurant angrily and she was all alone. She went over to the bar and polished off more than a few drinks (her older self probably could take more alcohol) until she was very tipsy and drunk. 
> 
> "This sucks…Why do _I_ have to go through this?" Skuld scowled. She should have listened to Ryoko's advice earlier about Washu's inventions being 'unreliable.' After all, she herself created many things that didn't work as well as she wanted to, so she should have had the insight of the upcoming disaster. 
> 
> *But noooo, I just had to be stubborn and hope that whatever Washu was doing would be safe! I should have used my hammer on her that time* Skuld thought as she remembered the part where Washu 'persuaded' her into using the machine. Skuld had been bound and she wasn't able to resist whatever Washu had planned next. And _that_, she supposed, was why she ended up here in the first place and had to take an emotional beating from Kenji's rejection. And now, since she had drunkenly walked out of that restaurant, she had no idea where she was at the moment. 
> 
> "Now where have I ended up this time?" Skuld wondered out loud. She was in some dark alleyway of some sort, surrounded by red brick buildings. There was a nasty stench to the place-of garbage and the unbearable smog that cars emitted. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Normally, if she had her powers, she could have withstood the smell and not be bothered by it, but by the smell of place, she _still_ had no control over her powers. 
> 
> "Great. Now I don't even know how to defend myself…" she muttered, realizing the dire consequences of her present state. She was about to continue muttering to herself when she heard a few heavy footsteps behind her, causing her to turn around. When she saw who they were, she swore and instantly backed away. 
> 
> "What's a pretty lady like -_you_ doing in the alleys this time of night alone? What say we party?" a large, muscular, and full-of-scar faced man grinned maniacally. Behind him were all men of similar build, except that they didn't have as many scars. They all had hideous smiles, and Skuld could not help but shudder. 
> 
> "Uh…Can I take a rain-check on that offer, guys?" Skuld asked sheepishly as she started to scramble as fast as her legs could carry away from the gang. 
> 
> Unfortunately, she had not counted on them using motorcycles. She had heard the engines roaring alive behind her, and she whispered a quick prayer to Kami-sama that she would get out alive. Her body couldn't take more strain. She hadn't been very fit, she noted. Maybe in this future she stopped fighting with Urd. *Great, now I have reasons to fight with her.* 
> 
> She swore when she tripped on a small rock. She scraped her knees and they stung, but she knew if she didn't hurry up and run for her life, she wouldn't be able to escape. *What time _was_ it here, anyway? I can't just keep running! I've _got_ to get more help! * she thought frantically. 
> 
> The gang was halfway towards her, and gaining a lot of speed at that. Skuld needed to catch her breath badly but she knew she couldn't do that. Then she felt her right hand being pulled by one of the bikers. *The leader* she thought miserably. All of the sudden, they had surrounded her and she had no where to go. She swallowed the spit that had suddenly accumulated in her mouth cavity. 
> 
> "You've got nowhere to run now, sweet cakes, so why don't you 'cooperate'?" the leader asked again, bearing his yellowy, nasty looking teeth. Half of them were rotten and probably filled with maggots or something like that. She winced in disgust. 
> 
> "Unhand me, you brute!" Skuld yelled, trying to get her hand away from his tight grip so she could get away. The big, dirty hand held fast. There was no escape for her. The leader now stepped away from his bike and stood gigantically next to Skuld. 
> 
> "Sorry, lady. If you're going to struggle, what's going to come next won't be pretty," 'the big brute' (as Skuld had nicknamed him) said, using his free hand to take Skuld's chin to raise up to his face so that the two could see eye to eye. What Skuld saw in the man's eyes dark and haunting, and nothing short of that. She was absolutely terrified. The other gang members hooted and called out to him, encouraging him to do whatever he wanted to do. 
> 
> What happened next was not pleasant in any way. After being gang-raped, Skuld was then left in the alleyway, her clothes tattered and torn. Her tears had stopped a long time ago since they had started ravaging her body. She felt like a torn up old doll, used and thrown out. She felt empty inside of her, for there was nothing left to her life. She desperately wanted to curl up and die. *Kami-sama. Why did you do this to me?* she asked quietly to herself. 
> 
> She tried to get on her feet. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do, with all the abuse she had received. She slowly walked away from the scene, using the walls as her aid. When her hands and feet could no longer support her weight, she simply crawled, leaving a small trail of blood to stand as testiment to her ordeal. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Urd! Did you feel that?" the elder version of Belldandy asked her older sister. She had suddenly felt a wave of fear coming from Skuld, tearing her soul apart and breaking certain things, and then...nothing. She had never felt so afraid in her whole life. 
> 
> "Yeah, I sure did. You think our little sister needs help?" Urd asked worriedly. 
> 
> "I think so. But...the connection's not around anymore...We can't find her without it!" Belldandy said frantically. 
> 
> "Calm down, Belldandy! We'll go to Heaven and settle this ourselves! They should have some trackers available to us at this hour," Urd said, already switching on the television. Belldandy nodded before she herself ran to the direction of the mirror. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> *How long...have I been out?* Skuld wondered. She groaned as she tried to move around. *Guess I was out for a long time... My whole body hurts!* 
> 
> "Hey, she's awake, Nao! Are you all right?" an unknown female voice asked her. Skuld decided not to answer her so she could determine whether or not the female was friend or foe. 
> 
> "Are you sure, Kei? She looks like she's having a wet dream or something," the female named Nao said. 
> 
> "Stop making fun of her! _You_ should have been the one who found her! From the look of her wounds, she was probably gang-raped..." Kei said. Skuld could hear no further than those two words, 'gang-raped.' *So...it wasn't a dream...* Tears started to flow from her eyes before she could stop them. She curled up into a foetal position and sobbed. 
> 
> "You were right! She _is_ awake!" Nao said while she jumped back in surprise that the woman they had found was crying her heart out like a baby. She was also a little embarassed that her earlier comment about the wet dream had been heard by their visitor but she didn't show it. She fought to keep her face from blushing. It apparently worked. 
> 
> "You're such an insensitive room-mate, you know that?" Kei snapped, trying to comfort the stranger by touching her shoulders. 
> 
> "Sorry! Well it's not like I don't care or anything! It's just that I haven't had the best day, you know? My boyfriend and I just broke up for freaking sakes! And I come home to find _you_ undressing her? How the hell am I supposed to take that?" Nao retaliated. *Damn that woman...* she cursed. 
> 
> "Well I was _trying_ to get her out of her clothes and treat some of the wounds she has, as if you didn't notice! It's not like I was all over her or anything..." Kei said, scowling. *Although she _does_ have one of those bodies we'd all die for* she added silently as an afterthought. She struggled to keep her face from showing her amusement. Nao apparently noticed this, however. 
> 
> "Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what do we do with her?" Nao asked, rolling her eyes. She knew her room-mate too well. After all, she had been with her for what, nearly 2 years? To her, that almost seemed like forever already. Good thing she only had 2 more years until she graduated. By then, she would probably never see Kei again. 
> 
> "Well, we've got to contact her immediate family...How do you feel, miss?" Kei asked, turning to Skuld. 
> 
> "I...don't want to live," Skuld croaked through her tears. That sentence touched the two room-mates and each silently sighed. They really felt sorry for her and wished they could help, but it wasn't really their place to do so. 
> 
> "You must have been through a lot, but you've got to go on living. Don't you have friends or relatives that are worried about you? We'd like to contact them-" Nao said, but was cut off by Skuld's outburst. 
> 
> "NO! NO! I can't possibly face them like this!" Skuld yelled out. The two room-mates looked at each other for a long time and came to a decision. They barely survived to keep paying rent, and now there was another mouth to feed? Kei nodded her head and Nao sighed in resignation. They would make it through somehow. They couldn't leave her alone like this, not when they could do something to help her. 
> 
> "You can stay with us until...you feel better. My name is Keiko Narumiya and this is my room-mate, Naomi Shizuka," Kei said, introducing themselves. Nao nodded and gave a reassuring smile while she held out her hand, expecting a hand-shake in return. Unfortunately, she thought wrong. 
> 
> "T-Thank you," Skuld mumbled at the ground, not looking at her saviors. The two room-mates looked at each other again and wondered whether or not they made the right decision. 
> 
> ***** END OF PART 1*****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 


	6. The Unspoken Journey Part 2: Wounds To H...

The Unspoken Journey Part 2: Wounds to Heal

> ****
> 
> "The Unspoken Journey"   
An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Tenchi-Muyo x-over 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) 
> 
> This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. 
> 
> The character of Kenji from the '[No Mere Mortal][5]' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][6]. The characters true to Tenchi Muyo belong to the illustrator(s) and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read [chapter 1][7] or [part 1][8], please read it! Warning: This fanfic contains some pretty dark elements. There are some sexual references, but it couldn't even be counted as a lime. 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> The evening had been perfect until he had decided to propose to her. He even had an expensive-looking ring ready to put on her finger when she said 'yes.' He had stood on one knee and looked every bit like the romantic man she loved. His eyes had been excited, she had seen, but she had to tell him, didn't she? She had to tell him that she lied to him from the start, even if she wanted to be with him forever. BECAUSE she wanted to be with him forever, she couldn't let the start of her marriage be based on a lie. She just wouldn't be able to bear it. 
> 
> Should she tell him? Did she have to tell him? Would she tell him? *Yes* her conscience told her then. *You should. You cannot keep anymore secrets if you are to be with the man you love.* And so, she did. But was it worth it? 
> 
> "...Why, Skuld? Why didn't you tell me all of this before? Why did you wait until this moment to tell me?" Kenji asked, hurt evident in his eyes and the tone of his voice. 'I'm sorry' she had said, closing her eyes, unable to look at him in the face. 
> 
> "I'm sorry too, Skuld," Kenji said, his sad voice breaking what was left of her heart into even smaller pieces. 'I'm sorry, Kenji' she had said then, not knowing what to think, what to do. 
> 
> Tears had streamed out of her eyes, but he wasn't there to comfort her like she would have wished him to. He had already turned around and left the room. They were in a private room that Kenji had especially booked in advance, so no one saw her crying. She had never felt so alone before in her entire life until this moment. 
> 
> "Yet if hope has flown away   
In a night, or in a day,   
In a vision, or in none,   
Is it therefore the less gone?   
All that we see or seem [to see]   
Is but a dream within a dream."   
--Unknown. 
> 
> **PART 2: WOUNDS TO HEAL**
> 
> Nao had gotten in the middle of the night feeling a little dry in the throat and wanted to get a glass of water when she realized that the light was on in the guest room, where Skuld was staying temporarily. She sighed and went to investigate and tell the girl to try and get some rest. *Doesn't that girl ever sleep? As far as I know, she's always been awake before me* Nao thought. 
> 
> Normally, she would have realized that the sleeplessness might be related to the trauma Skuld had been experiencing, but since sleep was still part of her, very little rational thought came to her. However, when she swung the door to the guest room open, she saw Skuld holding a knife to one of her wrists in front of the mirror, tears running down her face. Nao's sleep-clouded mind immediately awoke and she was as alert as she could ever be. 
> 
> Skuld turned around and Nao could see her eyes widening in surprise. It was obvious that Skuld didn't want anyone to know what she was about to do. Nao could see the terrible pain in Skuld's eyes, etched deep into her soul. *Is _this_ what it's like to be ravaged like that?* she thought to herself. 
> 
> "Skuld, listen to me. Put. The knife. Down. Skuld...Don't do this to yourself. Why are you doing this? You know better than to..." Nao tried to negotiate Skuld out of taking her own life, but her efforts were cut off by Skuld's own speech. 
> 
> "I know better? How would _you_ know!? Every time I close my eyes, the memories...the images...of that night...they seem to haunt me no matter what I do, no matter where I am!...What did I do to deserve this fate?" Skuld spat. Nao was unable to speak as she was stunned at the intensity of the raw emotion that Skuld was showing. 
> 
> Skuld immediately broke down and ran out of the room. Nao quickly ran after her and found her sobbing on the couch in the living room. After some slight hesitation, she approached Skuld and touched her shoulder. Skuld flinched but did not refuse Nao's touch. It was then that Nao realized that Skuld really needed someone to help her through this, and decided that _she_ should be the one to do that right now. 
> 
> "...Listen, I know we don't know each other that well, but don't you have loved ones that care about you and where you are right now? What about _their_ feelings when you decide to end your life? What will _they_ think?" Nao asked. This was her one last chance. Either Skuld would drop it or she would make and witness the biggest mistake of her life. 
> 
> "Now they have others to take care of, others to love. Why do I matter?" Skuld asked, laughing out loud. It was a bitter and hollow laugh, something the normal Skuld could have never accomplished. But she dropped the knife, and that was what was important. 
> 
> Skuld then stopped laughing all of the sudden and resumed her daily activity: looking and staring blankly at any immobile object. Her sad gaze was enough to make even the bright colors of the room seem gloomy. Nao sighed and ruffled her hair. *That's it, I'm _definitely_ taking her to a therapist* she thought. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Okay, what do we have to work with, Bell?" Urd asked, her eyes busy scanning through the read-outs from various computer screens on her desk console. 
> 
> "Well, not much. She left the restaurant, all right. There were several eye witnesses but no one could really verify which direction she went. All they could tell was that she was pretty drunk at the time," Belldandy replied, looking up from her own console. 
> 
> "Great. Just great. She doesn't seem to have her powers so we can't locate her that way, and her life essense reading has practically vanished from this dimension...Do you think she's gone dimensional hopping again?" Urd wondered aloud, her eyes widening, remembering the last time she had done something like this. It had been years ago, when somehow Skuld had chosen Kenji. 
> 
> "I don't think so. The last time, she had the courtesy to write a note. It's not like her to leave without telling us like this," Belldandy replied, rapping rapidly on her 'keyboard.' It was in fact a hovering spherical structure with many squares and buttons that could be rotated at one's will. 
> 
> "You're right. But...why did the computer not even pick up her essense while she was at our house?" Urd wondered, leaning back on her couch-like seat and closing her eyes to rest for a moment. She and Belldandy had been at this for days now, and couldn't really afford to go on for much longer. After all, they had family to take care of. 
> 
> "I wonder if there are bugs in the system. You want to run the anti-virus?" Belldandy wondered as she scanned through a few more lines of data. 
> 
> "No, I've already done that and it reports that there are no bugs...for the time being," Urd said, sighing. 
> 
> "Are you thinking of Toshi?" Belldandy asked, already knowing the answer. 
> 
> "Yes. I'm worried. You think the guys can take care of him for a few days without getting into _too_ much trouble?" Urd wondered, a frown etched on her face. The last time she and her sisters had left Toshi with the guys, the house had been a total disaster area. 
> 
> "Well, we _could_ ask them to help. Brett's abilities might be invaluable...Say, where _is_ Brett?" Belldandy asked. 
> 
> "He's probably out on some wish-granting mission. I could page him, if you want," Urd said. She beeped him and a few seconds later, he appeared in front of them, uniform and all. 
> 
> "What's the big deal, ladies? I was in the middle of an assignment!" Brett admonished. He didn't like to leave his work half-done, although he could be considered finished in many aspects. 
> 
> "Skuld's gone and we don't know where she is. She's got no powers and we can't get any sort of reading from her. You've _got_ to help us," Urd replied, panicking as she snapped her eyes open from her little rest, walked over to Brett, and literally shook him. 
> 
> "Whoa, hold on there for a minute. What made you think she isn't uh...spending some time with Kenji?" Brett wondered. He had known the level of intimacy of Skuld's and Kenji's relationship for some time now, but he was still a little embarassed talking about it. 
> 
> "First of all, we felt her fear before we found out she was gone. Second of all, we checked already. Kenji's alone at his apartment, according to the radar. Third of all, we can't even _locate_ her with Skuld's own invention!" Belldandy said as Urd pushed him towards a new console. 
> 
> "Are you sure she hasn't gone dimension-hopping? She did that the last time," Brett grumbled as he got to work. *I guess my mission will have to be delayed for some time...* 
> 
> "Don't you think she would have told us first?" Urd snapped, her temper running short. 
> 
> "Okay, okay...You don't have to be so angry," Brett mumbled under his breath. Urd just gave him one of 'those' looks which made him wither. *I should have remembered good ol' rule #412--'Never Piss off a Goddess in panic whose sister's just gone missing* he thought sarcastically. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "How was your first session?" Kei asked Skuld, who just came out of the door which had a 'therapist' sign stuck to it. 
> 
> "It was all right, I guess..." Skuld said reluctantly. 
> 
> "You mean we spent all that money on you and you didn't get anything out of this?" Nao asked, a little offended. 
> 
> "I didn't mean that. I just don't know how to put what I felt back there in words. I feel a little better, actually," Skuld said, forcing a little smile. Kei and Nao traded worried looks. 
> 
> "Whatever you say, Skuld. Come on, I think we're all hungry. I know a good place," Kei suggested. However, the trip lasted a little longer than it needed to since Kei and Nao ended up arguing about which restaurant they had went to the last time and which one they should have gone to this time. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Kei noticed something about Skuld while they walked towards Kei's chosen restaurant. Her face was ghastly pale and she looked as if she could pass out the next second. Kei realized that Skuld was sweating even though it was cold. Nao grumbled on the other side of Skuld since she lost (as usual), so she didn't really notice. Kei touched Skuld's shoulder, which startled her. 
> 
> "Are you all right, Skuld? You don't look so well," Kei said, seriously concerned. 
> 
> "...It's just that I have this sense of dread, like something bad's going to happen, but I can't really be too sure..." Skuld replied. Pain was suddenly etched into her face like it had always been there and Kei truly felt sorry for her. 
> 
> "You're just thinking too much, Skuld," Nao said, trying to make the situation a little lighter. 
> 
> "You never do that, Nao, since you don't even use what little brains you have!" Kei teased. Nao just scowled as their bantering continued along the trip. Skuld ignored them and realized something that might had been the cause of her dread. The alleyway where _that_ happened was just right ahead. She froze in her tracks, making the two room-mates look back towards her. Total and absolute fear could be seen in her eyes. Her hands slowly trembled and tears started to run down her face without control. 
> 
> "What's wrong, Skuld?" Kei asked her, evidently not realizing what Skuld was feeling due to her 'conversation' with Nao. 
> 
> "I'm not going. I'm not going!" Skuld screeched, making other passerbys turn in their direction. Skuld fled the scene, but not before bumping a man. A man who possessed a familiar build and a _very_ familiar face. Skuld's eyes widened as she realized who it was. Kenji, the very man wanted to avoid. 
> 
> Kenji's eyes flashed in surprise but it went to a cold and piercing gaze as he helped her stand up along with him. Skuld could see the pain in his eyes, but she could not bear to tell him of what she had gone through since they had last met. She couldn't give him more pain to bear, not like this. 
> 
> "Tell Keiichi when you meet him...that I feel sorry for him," Kenji told her, the strain and struggle to keep in control evident in his voice. Then he let her go to stand on her own so that he himself could turn around and go. 
> 
> Kei and Nao caught up with Skuld moments later. They had witnessed the exchange and knew that he _had_ to have been the reason why Skuld was so stubborn about going back to her home, wherever it was. They only said nothing and led the silent Skuld back home, to their only haven. When they reached there, Skuld bolted for her room, locked the door, and sounds of muffled crying could be heard. No matter how much coaching and pleading the two room-mates had made to try and get her to get out of the room, Skuld wouldn't come out. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "What's the verdict?" Belldandy asked as she stretched her tired muscles. 
> 
> "We have zilch over on this end," Brett said, sighing. 
> 
> "I've got one little small lead...It turns out that our sister's just visited the therapist, although the bill was paid by someone else. I don't recognize the names but they were by two college kids over on the other side of town," Urd said, popping up the screen as a hologram so that everyone could see. 
> 
> "Great. Now all we have to do is trace the bill and we'll get her," Brett said, smiling. His work here paid off after all. *Now, if I could just get some shut-eye before I have to go back to work* he thought as he yawned. 
> 
> "No way, buddy, you're not getting any shut eye until we've found out what happened to her!" Urd snapped, dragging Brett away to the exit already. Brett groaned as he tried to pry himself away from Urd. Urd just snickered and held onto him even more tightly. Belldandy sighed to herself and wandered after the couple. *I just wish Keiichi was with me...* she thought longingly. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "...So was that your boyfriend?" Nao asked from outside the door. She knew the answer already, but she just had to ask. 
> 
> "...I guess," Skuld mumbled. She had gone back inside her 'little shell' and both Kei and Nao had found it really hard to reach her through it--it was like talking to your own shadow--you never got any response. If they could only get her to trust them and open the damn door... 
> 
> "EX-boyfriend?" Kei asked, raising an eyebrow. Skuld nodded, sniffing a little. Kei knew that the silence that ensued meant that she was right on the mark. 
> 
> "...Look, Skuld, we're a little sick and tired of trying to get information out of you so you can get better. We want to be your friends help you get over this, but you won't let us! You won't tell us what's going on and who you are!" Nao raved, her patience running out. 
> 
> "You won't understand!" Skuld yelled back. *No one does* she thought miserably. 
> 
> "Nao!" Kei said sternly. "Skuld...Nao's being really mean, I know, but she's right. You can't ignore the fact that anything and everything happened! You've got to get over it! Open the door, Skuld, and let me in!" Kei said in a pleading tone. After a while, she realized she wasn't going to get a response. Sighing, she went to her last resort: she pulled out some hairpins and pick-locked the door. When she quietly opened the door, she realized that there was no one there. Only an open window. Skuld had run away. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Are you sure we should be knocking on someone else's door? Someone we don't even know?" Belldandy asked outside Kei and Nao's apartment door. 
> 
> "Of course! She's our sister, isn't she? She's _got_ to have a reason why she didn't tell us anything before she ran out on us!" Urd snapped impatiently. Belldandy sighed and pressed the doorbell. A few moments after, the door was opened and Belldandy found herself facing a couple of college students who were in a pretty bad mood. 
> 
> "Can we help you?" one asked, the politeness in her voice evidently strained. 
> 
> "Um...We're looking for a young woman named Skuld. She was missing from our house a few days ago--last week in fact, and we'd like to know whether or not you've seen her. The neighbors all reported seeing her these past few days and we're hoping that you'd know where she is or where she went," Belldandy said in the most polite voice she could manage, adding a smile. The two college students looked at each other and slowly nodded their heads, letting the three strangers into their small apartment. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Did you have to erase their memories?" Brett asked Urd, who was in a _really_ bad mood after hearing what had happened to Skuld. Even Belldandy's usually neutral or happy mood had gone to a downside after they had heard Skuld's story. Brett, however, didn't know the story since he was ushered outside the room--the two girls evidently didn't really trust guys that much. 
> 
> "If I didn't have to, I wouldn't have done it...They know too much, Brett. I'm sorry about all this. I know you hate it when we have to mess up other people's memories but it has to be done," Urd said. 
> 
> "What did they find out that was so important that you had to erase their memories of what had happened? I don't think Skuld would tell them that she was a goddess, she'd know that it would be catastrophic to scientific development!" Brett said, trying to brighten up the scene. Belldandy had been eerily quiet and solemn. 
> 
> "...I'm going to look for her," Urd only said before she vanished from his sight. Brett turned to look at Belldandy, who only gave him a sad look. *She's keeping it from me too? Geez, Skuld's date must _really_ have been bad or something!* Brett thought before he suggested that he and Belldandy go home. He had learned not to question what Urd was doing after all the years he had spent with her. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Using only pure instincts, Urd ran towards some unknown destination, hoping that her gut feelings would tell her where her little sister had gotten to. She remembered that when she was small and Skuld had gone missing, her gut feelings were what had led her to find her, who had been playing happily in the middle of a mortal playground with a bunch of children. Skuld had not understood at that time, but Urd knew she always had a special bond with her sisters. She hoped that the bond was still there. 
> 
> A few minutes later, she found herself in a dark alley. Unbeknownst to her, it was the exact same alley where Skuld had her encounter with the gang. The eerie cries from further along the alley that greeted her caused her to stop and hesitate whether to go on. Balling up her hands into fists, Urd kept her always handy thunderbolt spell ready at her lips, and ran on. Her eyes widened--she was absolutely horrified at the sight before her, at what she found. 
> 
> It was a gruesome sight, and no mortal or god would describe it as otherwise. There were bodies and the smell of fresh blood everywhere, it almost nauseated Urd. Urd, who had been in battle so many times against Evil. Urd, who had born an icy and cold expression when she was forced to cut off the heads of her enemies in order to send them back to the Hell from where they came from. Urd, who was now barely keeping her lunch inside. 
> 
> She willed herself to walk on and keep a sad and cold expression as she saw the brutality of the murders--there was one, she noted, that had his esophagus ripped out. That was how he died, his eyes bloated and mouth open--but unable to breathe. Urd closed her eyes as she shuddered at even more gruesome sights. But then, she heard a sound. Another cry. She instantly ran towards the direction, her strongest spells at hand. She knew that these murders had to be the work of an immortal. Just who, she didn't know. Such work could have only be done by someone so vengeful as a Hell Lord. 
> 
> "Please forgive me! Forgive me! I-I'll never do it again...Urk!" the choked voice of a man screamed cacophonically in falsetto. 
> 
> "NeVeR...I cAnNoT fOrGiVe YoU fOr WhAT yOu HaVe DoNe!" a strangely familiar female voice said. But the way she said it would have brought anyone to shudder--even a Hell Lord. When Urd got to the scene, she was horrified to find Skuld--or someone who looked and dressed like Skuld, covered in blood from head to toe, and using some sort of bizzare power to force a huge and ugly man against the wall, except that he was choking about 10 feet higher. 
> 
> "S-Skuld!?" Urd exclaimed in absolute terror. The monster turned her head towards Urd. Urd realized that it _was_ Skuld, but there was an eerie green glow inside her eyes as she smiled sadistically as if to welcome her sister. 
> 
> "GrEeTiNgS, uRd...Do YoU LiKe My ShOw? I wOrKeD rEaLlY hArD oN iT!" Skuld said in a very strange tone--it was cold and uncaring. If Urd didn't know her for who she was, she would have sounded like the Absolute Evil. 
> 
> "W-why...?" Urd asked. 
> 
> "I hAvE tO mAkE tHeM pAy FoR wHaT tHeY hAvE dOnE tO mE!" Skuld shouted in rage, her strangely lit eyes glowing. 
> 
> "Do you have to kill them?" Urd asked sadly towards her sister, now a monster. 
> 
> "YeS!" Skuld shrieked. The dangling man was now still. Urd knew that he was dead. There was no hope of ever saving him.k note when his throat was crushed like that. 
> 
> "NOOOO!" Urd shouted as she watched her sister, the Goddess of the Future, destroy the mortal world. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "NOOOO!" Urd shouted, waking up from her dream. She realized that she was on the electric train and the rest of the people there was watching her and eyeing her strangely. Some teenagers were laughing at her and she instantly blushed furiously. *What was _that_ all about?* she thought. Then she remembered. The alley in the dream...or premonition? Of course! That's where Skuld is! She looked outside the window. The sun was setting. 
> 
> She stood up and pressed the emergency button. When the train came to an immediate stop (startling a lot of passengers), she opened the doors with her bare hands and jumped off. The rest of the passengers panicked at the seemingly suicidal woman who had jumped off, but became quiet once Urd put a spell on the train, forgetting that it ever _did_ stop and that the passengers had seen a woman who had jumped off. 
> 
> "I've got to hurry!" Urd said to herself. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> When she got to the alley, she found herself staring at Skuld's back, who was silently watching those dark shadows moving within. As she approached her sister, the sound of her footsteps--the heels on the pavement, caused her sister to turn towards her. She could see the anger, the frustration, and the denial..and now, surprise...and shame. Plenty of it. 
> 
> "I see you've found me at, Urd," Skuld said. 
> 
> "Do you have to run away every single time you have a problem?" Urd asked, a little angry. Yet she knew that if she had to go through the same process, the same things her little sister had, she would have done the exact same thing. Of course, she wasn't about to tell that, was she? Skuld gave out what by definition would be, a chuckle--but the strain in it was evident to both parties. 
> 
> "I guess I _do_ do that, don't I?" Skuld said, somewhat sadly, turning her body and view back to the alley. Urd approached her sister more cautiously, hoping that her presence would calm her sister down. 
> 
> "That alley...That alley took something away from me. And I suppose you know what it is, since you found me. You were always good at finding things, Urd. You were always good at things when you tried real hard," Skuld continued, not looking at her. The sounds of distant traffic and some people walking and ignoring the two gaijins standing there cut the silence. 
> 
> "...Kei and Nao told me something. I didn't know whether or not I could believe it. Skuld...why didn't you use your powers?" Urd asked quietly as she hugged her sister and shed the tears she had been holding back since the conversation with the two college kids. 
> 
> "...I don't have any. It's been like this since I've gotten here...And now, all I am is a hollow shell. There is nothing inside of me..." Skuld said. 
> 
> "What do you mean, when you got here?" Urd asked as she wiped her tears. She had let go of her fierce hug and lookd at her sister carefully. 
> 
> "I'm from the past, Urd. This...this place is a possible future. I guess that's why I'm here, isn't it?" Skuld asked rhetorically, almost bitterly. 
> 
> "But...if you're from the past, where's _our_ Skuld?" Urd panicked. She would have never known that the Goddess of the Future that was her sister would have to undergo such obstacles. If she had known...*Damn it, why didn't she tell us about this years ago, when she insisted that she wanted her relationship with Kenji to go on? Did she want to know whether or not she could change things, even by a little?* Urd thought. 
> 
> "She _knows_ I was going to be here. She even left me a note!" Skuld hissed. She wished things didn't have to be this way, but she was so angry with her future self. *How could she _do_ this to me! Myself! Us?* she thought. 
> 
> "...She left you a note!? Come on, we've got to get back to the temple. We're going to investigate this matter at once!" Urd said before pulling on Skuld's hand. After finding their way to the nearest transport media available, they finally left the scene. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Later, when they got to the temple, Skuld switched on her laptop and called up the file that had told her to do those things. While their eyes flicked back and forth between the lines of programming and user identity (they thought the message might have been a fake one), they discussed possible reasons why the present Skuld would have done such a thing. 
> 
> "Maybe she wanted to know whether or not she could change things by trying to still go with Kenji. I think that might be a reasonable solution to our puzzle," Urd suggested. 
> 
> "It could be, but I don't think so. I already _know_ what Kenji's reaction to my revelation was, so I don't think I would have been able to go through that all over again," Skuld replied. 
> 
> "That's a good point...Wait! Hold on, what's that line over there say? Yes, that one right next to that?" Urd shouted excitedly at the prospect that she just _might_ have found evidence that some demon must have planted this hoax. 
> 
> "Let's see here..." Skuld said as she adjusted her glasses to see the computer screen more clearly. 
> 
> "Yes? Yes?" Urd asked excitedly like a child. 
> 
> "Nope. It's only..." Skuld tried to explain but was cut off by Urd's doings. She had pulled Skuld's cheeks until they stretched out. *Ow!* Skuld thought painfully. *She _still_ does this to me?* 
> 
> "Yeaaaaaaargh! Why in the world did she ask you to do it? Why does this have to be so hard to figure out!" Urd screamed at the top of her lungs and released Skuld, who was now touching her badly stretched cheeks and backing away from Urd in the case that Urd would want to hurt her twice in a row. Urd was sick and tired of trying to figure things out. She badly needed a bath and nap right now and wished that this didn't have to happen. 
> 
> It was _then_ that they heard a creak. The annoyingly familiar creak to Skuld's very own sliding door. The barrier between her room and the mortal world. There was only one person left who would ever open the door to Skuld's room, and that person was Belldandy. 
> 
> In their haste, the two sisters had promptly forgotten to tell Belldandy about what they were up to because they didn't want to have the trouble of talking and explaining to her what had gone on. They froze in their positions as they felt Belldandy's stern stare boring into their backs, and slowly turned around like caught animals. The two sisters made out what could be said as stale laughter. 
> 
> "When were you two going to fill me in on this minute, unimportant detail?" Belldandy asked with an uncharacteristic scowl on her face. The two sisters looked around for an escape, but they both knew there was none. Not when Belldandy was angry. Therefore, it was only wise that they tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The two sisters started speaking to Belldandy at the same time. 
> 
> Although Belldandy could hear and understand both of her sisters talking to her, she knew that they were only doing it to try and get out of the situation. That was why she only shook her head (which made the two sisters stop, look at the other one, and sigh) and went to the living room. The two sisters could only trudge behind her, feeling a little more than guilty on their parts. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> After several rounds of Ocha (green tea) and several outburst of tears, the three sisters were almost as normal as they could be. They knew that things wouldn't be the same because of what had happened to Skuld, but they knew that it shouldn't let them stop trying to help Skuld get back to the past. 
> 
> "Well, I could sit here and simply wait for it to happen or I can build something and try to do it myself," Skuld said, staring at her half-empty cup of Ocha. The two elder sisters looked at each other worriedly before coming to the same decision. 
> 
> "If you're going to do it, we'll be there to help you, Skuld...Skuld? Skuld? What's wrong with you?" Urd said as she noticed that Skuld had just fallen over unconscious. Urd's voice became more and more distant as Skuld dove into a world of strange waves of colors. 
> 
> *I'm taking over from here now...* a familiar and yet different voice said in her mind. *Who is this? What are you doing to me? Where is this?* she asked. *This is your own mind...your own soul...Don't you recognize it? Don't you recognize _me_? 
> 
> I am you...I've always been you and now, you know what will happen if you decide to have your relationship with Kenji. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but it wasn't exactly pleasant for me either...I was was foolish to have thought that I could change it by changing small things, but...in the end...* the voice inside her, who was using her own voice, trailed off. 
> 
> *I understand* a voice said. Whether it was hers or her future counterpart's, it was unclear. They had seemingly blended together, as if they had never been apart... 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "I'm getting brainwaves, Washu!" was the first thing Skuld heard. *Ryoko?* 
> 
> "Yes! I knew this would work!" Washu yelled as she jumped with joy. 
> 
> "Ugh...I feel like _hell_...how long have I been out?" Skuld mumbled out as she tried to raise her body. She felt her muscles give way and she was forced to lay back down. 
> 
> "About an hour or two, that's all. What did you...uh...go through?" Washu asked. She knew that people who were brain-dead often had strange experiences while they were 'under.' 
> 
> "I-I...can't seem to remember anything..." Skuld said, clutching her forehead with her right hand. *But I _do_. I remember...everything...but I can't tell them...I won't...I can't bear to see them pity me, like everyone had...* she thought. 
> 
> "Well, you just get some rest and we'll get you better in no time. Do you still want to give my machine another try?" Washu asked, hopeful. 
> 
> "I think once is enough, Washu. I don't know whether or not I'll be able to take any more..." Skuld groaned. Ryoko grinned beside the short scientist, as if to say 'I told you so.' 
> 
> ***** END OF PART 2 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: http://home.earthlink.net/~esharpe/table.of.contents.html
   [6]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [7]: ai1.html
   [8]: side.html



	7. The Unspoken Journey Part 3: When Realit...

The Unspoken Journey Part 3: When Reality Bites

> ****
> 
> "The Unspoken Journey"   
An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Tenchi-Muyo x-over 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) 
> 
> This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. 
> 
> The character of Kenji from the '[No Mere Mortal][5]' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][6]. The characters true to Tenchi Muyo belong to the illustrator(s) and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read [chapter 1][7] or [part 1][8], please read it! Warning: This fanfic contains some pretty dark elements. There are some sexual references, but it couldn't even be counted as a lime. 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Well, the diagnostics show nothing out of the ordinary...if you were mortal, that is," Washu said as she skimmed through some print-outs. 
> 
> "Hm...That's strange. But it doesn't explain why I don't seem to have any powers in this dimension," Skuld replied, flexing her arms as she stretched. It had been a very long examination and her muscles were practically asleep. 
> 
> "It _is_ strange, isn't it? Brett and Urd seemed to have a pretty good grasp of their powers when they were here...but my hypothesis is that there's probably two reasons for your lack of powers: your age and your power source," Washu said, counting off two fingers. 
> 
> "How is that?" Skuld asked, still not getting it. 
> 
> "Due to your age and experience, I would think that you aren't used to having a power source that is from a different area, even if it _is_ available. That would be a good explanation to why you still seem to be able to constantly regenerate yourself in this form. Your power source could be weaker or non-existent or you _could_ be using another source that you don't know how to use yet," Washu explained. 
> 
> [Author's note: Constant regeneration was actually mentioned in the AMG Manga chapter "The Goddesses' Big Crisis," where Skuld first makes her debut as an accomplished debugger. The world of the immortals has many more dimensions than the mortals so a two-dimensional person wouldn't be able to see someone with three dimensions, which is why mortals don't normally see immortals. Immortals create their forms by constantly regenerating their atomic structure just so immortals can see them, which means that a bunch of energy must be given off.] 
> 
> "So what does this have to do with getting back to my own dimension?" Skuld asked. She didn't really have time to play long guessing games with Washu. She wanted to go home. Maybe her sisters could help her with her power problem. 
> 
> "You see, to get back to your own dimension, I must use some of your powers...the machine that I created to send both Brett and Urd back simply does not draw enough out of the energy that is supplied to this house. Since you don't have any, I'm afraid I won't be able to send you back!" Washu said with a flourish. 
> 
> "Right. So I have to figure out a way to get my powers back, and fast...Any suggestions?" Skuld asked. Ryoko, who had been silent up to now, began to pipe up some suggestions, eager to share her knowledge about this dimension's galaxy. 
> 
> "What about drinking some mana juice from Ishtar? Or going to a Tree of Life and eating some of its bark? Or..."Ryoko said excitedly. 
> 
> "Wait! Do you know how long it'll take us to get to those places you just mentioned? Even _find_ those things? They're all _legends_, Ryoko!" Washu snapped after showing the number of light years needed to get there...even with the fastest ship she could build. 
> 
> "What about building a transport chamber?" Skuld asked, remembering her own invention. 
> 
> "Well, I have one but it can't go that far," Washu mused. 
> 
> "Well, you'll never know before you try it. Let's go and upgrade it," Skuld said with one of her mad-scientist grins. Washu returned the same grin and it was Ryoko who sighed with exasperation. She knew they weren't about to stop until they perfected it...and that meant, a week or two without real company. *Why did Tenchi had to go on that vacation for so long!* she thought miserably. 
> 
> "He who has nothing to die for has nothing to live for."   
--Moroccan Proverb 
> 
> **PART 3: WHEN REALITY BITES**
> 
> "Are you guys absolutely _sure_ it's safe?" Ryoko asked uncertainly when she looked at the mirror-like portal they had built over the course of two weeks. The two scientists had barely slept, much less eaten, and it showed. If there _were_ any mistakes on the trip, the two scientists would probably too tired to fix it...or think about it. 
> 
> "Snore," Washu said as she plopped onto the floor. Ryoko raised an eyebrow at her 'mother' and sighed. *She'll never learn...* she thought. But further derogatory thoughts were halted by Skuld's reply. 
> 
> "I think so. We did a lot of tests. We just need a few days to rest and pack some stuff for the journey..." Skuld mumbled just before falling asleep next to Washu. Ryoko had no other choice but to cover the both of them with blankets and turn off the lights to the lab before getting some rest herself. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> The Song of Death...it was the very last part of the Song of Life. It seemed to come from the beating of her heart, but she realized that it was actually coming from an external source. She realized, for a start, that it was the beating of war drums. Ancient war drums. The ones she had long forgotten about. The ones that were used to fight Evil. The ones...the ones that somehow always made her sad and shed silent tears. But for what, she didn't know. 
> 
> Then the rhythmic drumming of horse hooves. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. From all directions. But where was she? She opened her eyes and realized that she was standing on a clearing inbetween two forests. She could feel the solid ground beneath her start to shake as the sounds of horse hooves started to come closer. A sudden chill suddenly came over her, and the grass began to sway. They began to move along with the wind. The wind that brought with it only ashes and decay. Only the horrible prospect of death and destruction. 
> 
> Then, deafening shouts of war--from men and beasts, surrounded her eardrums until she thought they would burst. She tried to cover them, but the cacophony seemed to become even louder. She dropped to her knees, unable to stop the sounds from reaching her. Her eyes were wide with terror. Where was she? What was she doing? 
> 
> And then it came. The metallic clashes between steel, the shouts of agony, the thumps on the ground where men lay fallen, the yelp of another's victory. All around her, in samurai attire, the men slew and slew and slew. The grass that had once been green was now a deep bloody red...but the men seemed to pay no attention to her. 
> 
> She tried to stop this chaos, but to no avail. They were deaf--and if they weren't, they wouldn't have listened. When she tried to touch one of them, she found that her hand went through them, and realized that she was only a spirit...a spectator. She tried to shut her eyes away from the brutality of the sight, but the visions still went on in her mind no matter what. The scenes replayed over and over again nearly made her crazy, but a shout...a voice...that called her name...made her turn around and look. 
> 
> "...Skuld!" a faintly familiar man shouted at the top of his lungs. He was a foreigner, there was no doubt about that. He was wearing some sort of armor...but he was no samurai, that was for sure. There was something familiar in that man, that man that had just called her name. And then, it came to her. *Chia-Yao!* she thought, and began to run towards him. 
> 
> "Chia-Yao! Can you hear me? Can you see me?" Skuld asked, beside him and his horse as he tried to find an opponent. His eyes widened with surprise...and he looked around him, as if he had heard or seen a ghost. 
> 
> "Skuld?" he asked. 
> 
> "I'm here," Skuld said, wanting to touch him. But she knew she would pass through his body...like all her previous attempts. 
> 
> "Skuld! What are you--Urk!" Chia-Yao said before his eyes widened and he fell from his horse. His back had been struck by an arrow. Skuld saw the blood gushing out of him and knew that it was her fault that he had been hit. After all, she had distracted him, hadn't she? Her tears ran freely down her cheeks and she ran to his side, but when she tried to touch him...as she had suspected, her fingers went through him. He looked as if he was dead. For all Skuld knew, she had killed him. And it was all her fault. 
> 
> [Author's Note: If you'd like to find out how all this came to be (Chia-Yao in battle), you can go read Chia-Yao's side story, which is written by Guest Author Brett Handy. This side story is about Chia-Yao's experiences during the 3 months while Skuld is gone. 
> 
> But what could she do? She could only watch as the blood steadily poured out of his wounds, slowly flooding the blood-covered grass. She could only watch, stunned and horrified, as his face slowly turned paler as time went by. And then, to shut out the scene before her, she closed her eyes. It actually worked this time. 
> 
> Blackness surrounded her once more, and when she realized where she was, she found herself alone in her sleeping quarters at Tenchi's house. It was then that she wondered what had just happened, and whether or not she should feel guilty. *I mean, it was only a dream, right?* Skuld thought and had unknowingly spoke out loud. She strangely felt some relief when there was no reply. It was too horrible for a dream, and dreams...well, for a goddess, they were almost nearly true. She shivered at the memory and image of Chia-Yao's pained visage as he fell from his horse. All because of her. It wasn't fair. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Skuld, what happened to you? You look terrible!" Washu commmented as she saw a sleep-deprived Skuld the next morning. "Maybe we shouldn't start travelling today..." 
> 
> "I had a particularly bad dream last night and I had trouble falling back to sleep. That's why I'm so tired today. I know you wanted to start testing the transport upgrade today so why don't you start ahead of me? I'll catch up when I get better, all right?" Skuld replied, yawning as she said so. Washu sighed at not being able to work with Skuld; then nodded her head reluctantly, and went into her lab. Ryoko, who had just came in from feeding Ryo-oki her breakfast, looked at Skuld and felt her forehead. 
> 
> "Can't sleep because of your love troubles?" Ryoko teased. 
> 
> "Actually, I dreamt about one of them last night. The funny thing was that I couldn't get it out of my head. This dream actually stuck to my mind and it wouldn't let me go to sleep..." Skuld said. Ryoko listened attentively with amazement and after the little discussion, Skuld dragged herself back to her sleeping quarters. 
> 
> *Poor Skuld...She's taking all of this so hard. But she seems a little sadder than usual. I wonder what's wrong though. Nobody takes dreams _that_ seriously* Ryoko said. But then, no one she knew had been an immortal... 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Skuld closed her eyes in an attempt to get some more sleep. She was really worried about Chia-Yao now, but she couldn't go back since she didn't have any powers. Besides, what could she tell him? She still didn't know what to say to him. Him _and_ Rhiana. *Yes...Rhiana. What about her? I can't go on like this forever. I've got to face reality sometime, I know...but...I'm so confused* she thought miserably. 
> 
> In an instant, she was in another place. A place she actually recognized in her childhood. This was the place where she encountered Loki. She shuddered at the thought as she remembered what they talked about that day. That day.... 
> 
> "Skuld," a deep and cold voice said from behind her, in a way that was almost like a command. She instantly turned around to see Loki, an eccentric immortal who could be termed as mischevious and often demonic--in the eyes of mortals. Everyone avoided him in Heaven. He was hard to understand because he was different. Different from everyone else. 
> 
> "Skuld," he repeated. 
> 
> "...L-Loki," she said, barely a whisper. 
> 
> "Yes. You're here..." he said, smiling a smile that could only be described as frozen cold. He stared at her as if he was staring into space. It was as if he was staring _through_ her. 
> 
> "Good. Have you agreed then, to what I have proposed to you?" Loki asked in that strangely rich voice of his. 
> 
> "Proposal?" she asked, testing the word on her lips. 
> 
> "Have you forgotten already, child? To ask me to become your mentor throughout your manifest is to ask me for something you believe you can pay back with. Once you become Goddess of the Future, you must do something for me...in return for what I do for you...It will make the manifest easier for you to handle, child..." Loki said. 
> 
> "Manifest?" she asked again. Loki was speaking of things she had not heard of before. 
> 
> "Yes, The Manifest. You will acquire the knowledge of the Past and Present. In doing so, you will decide the fate of the Future. That is your fate, child. But this knowledge will not come easily..." the man said. "Which is why you have come to me, isn't it, child? Can you already feel the power in you, ready to explode, ready to take over?" 
> 
> Indeed, Skuld was feeling a little more energy than she should have had. It was a little unnerving, at the least, but she listened to the man as he spoke. 
> 
> "I could...keep this energy until you needed it. Until your Manifest is needed. That is why you come to me," Loki said, his gray eyes dancing in the dark. 
> 
> "What do you mean, acquire the knowledge of Past and Present?" Skuld asked, her tone more than just a little frightened. 
> 
> "Don't you know anything? Child...You must bear with you the guilt of the Past, the unknowingness of the Present. And from there, you must and will build the Future. This is what happens during the Manifest. You will be unable to stop it when it comes. And it will come and go like the wind, unsuspecting. And you will suffer. Suffer horribly. So...do you wish for my help? You will but owe me one favor..." Loki said, his smile reappearing. 
> 
> Skuld knew of his wisdom and trickery. He was famous for it. Yet she wasn't sure what she would do. Loki could do good at times, but it was all to his own benefit. But then again, Urd never trusted Loki, and that was why she decided she didn't. Above all, Urd had good character judgement. She had gone through more things than she would have in her life time. 
> 
> "I answer you, Loki. You help is unnecessary. I will go through this myself, for that is my fate," Skuld replied defiantly at the man who had frowned. 
> 
> "Foolish child. Your path will not be easy, remember this. When I wanted to give you a favor, you denied me this pleasure. And when the time comes, I will deny you yours," Loki said, disappearing into the darkness. 
> 
> *This was what had happened here in this room, but what does this memory come up now, and why am I still here?* she asked herself. She had nearly forgotten about the conversation since it happened decades ago, but when she came back to this room, it all came back to her. It was like she was being fed pieces of the puzzle, but until all the pieces were together, she would have to wait until she could figure what was going on with her. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "What's happening to her? She's convulsing!" 
> 
> "I don't know! Her eyes aren't focused!" 
> 
> "You idiots! She's having a manifestation!" 
> 
> "How do _you_ know?" 
> 
> "Why the hell does everyone call me the greatest scientist of the universe then?" Washu asked, angry. 
> 
> "What do you _mean_, manifestation?" 
> 
> "She's probably of the right age. It's a pity her sisters or another immortal isn't here to help her through this... We're helpless! I'm not sure what she's going through but it's most likely that part of her abilities is prescience...she _is_ after all the Goddess of the Future!" Washu replied. 
> 
> "OK, we know that much, but how do we stop it?" 
> 
> "...I'm afraid you got me there," Washu said quietly after thinking for a moment. The others had restrained Skuld on a table to stop her from moving too much. The glazed, crazed look in her eyes was painful to see and when she started screaming, everyone visibly winced. 
> 
> "WHAT!? You don't know how to stop them?" 
> 
> "Of course not. I've never treated an immortal before, I don't know what to do! I suppose I could calm her down with some drugs but that will take her out of it, and it'll only delay the rest of the manifestation...or make it even stronger..." Washu mumbled the last few words. 
> 
> "Just do something! She's not going to last for long!" Ryoko panicked. 
> 
> "OK, just give me a minute or two to get the things to sedate her with," Washu said, whizzing past her with determination. 
> 
> "But you said..." 
> 
> "It'll give us time to try and get someone to help her! Now help me inject these!" Washu said as she came back with a bunch of needles. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "...I tried to call you but I couldn't find a telephone....I sent a message through the internet but you rarely checked it...I wrote a letter and I sent it with a o-o-ow...it's not supposed to take so long...and I can't wait for you..." screamed a loud techno-dance tune blared through loud speakers. Skuld thought she recognized the song, but she couldn't really place where she heard it before. 
> 
> Skuld winced as her eardrums got blasted with the loud, offensive music. It wasn't that she hated techno--the song was actually cool--but the music was definitely too loud for her. She opened her eyes slowly, unsure of what she would see, but what she saw surprised her. It was a high-tech disco club of some sort, with dozens of people dancing fanatically to the beat. 
> 
> "...My heart is ringing so I'm singing this song for you..." the music continued. The dancers were all wearing clothes that seemed to change colors as they moved. The swirling and changing of the colors made Skuld's head pound. She used the both of her hands to clutch her head to keep them still. Then her eyes caught something--a woman, moving right in the middle of all the chaos. Her eyes widened when she realized it was _herself_. An older version, surely, but her nonetheless. *Where the hell am I?* she thought. 
> 
> As the song dwindled to an end, the older version of her laughed and left the dancing floor to go to the bar. Following a hunch, she went after the older version of herself and tapped her on the shoulder once she settled down. The older version of herself turned around and nearly fell off her stool. 
> 
> "HUH!?" the older version of her said in a very smart manner. 
> 
> [Author's note: Notice the extreme sarcasm.] 
> 
> "Hi. Mind if I sit next to you?" she asked, taking the stool next to her older version. 
> 
> "Er...I-I guess not...Who are you?" the older version of her asked. 
> 
> "No, no, who are _you_ and what am _I_ doing _here_?" Skuld demanded. 
> 
> "Hey wait a minute, don't get so angry. I was just dancing with a bunch of my friends and then all of a sudden you came up. You look so much like me...how is that possible?" Skuld's twin asked, looking at Skuld closely. 
> 
> "Is your name Skuld by any chance?" Skuld asked. She couldn't believe how stupid her 'twin' was. *Did she lose her memory or something?* she thought. 
> 
> "No, sorry. Is that another person who looks like...us?" the twin asked. Skuld mused this new piece of information very carefully. 
> 
> "I don't believe it to be so. Anyway, what's your name?" Skuld asked. 
> 
> "Kaminaga Noriko, or the other way around, if you're looking at it from a gaijin's point of view. It's strange, isn't it...how we look so much like each other? It's like staring into a mirror when there is none in front of us..." Noriko amusedly. Skuld realized at once that this person was her human counterpart: the physical embodiment which her own physical body was sculpted from when her immortal body took on a mortal shape. *Was this possible? I thought counterparts were not supposed to meet each other...* she thought. 
> 
> "Yeah...It is. Do you have any sisters by any chance?" Skuld asked. 
> 
> "Sisters?...Yes...and no. You see, I have two sisters. Both of my sisters are married and have kids by now so they kind of left me to my own demise. They call it independence but...well, I kind of think of it as...neglect," Noriko said into a glass of coke. 
> 
> "Neglect? How so?" Skuld asked, amused at the antics of her lonely counterpart. 
> 
> "They're too busy to care about their own little new families to care about me. I'm the odd one out you know? I'm not exactly very comfortable with my...er...nieces and nephews either," Noriko asked, sheepishly. She had put a hand behind her head and her face was blushing. 
> 
> "I'm assuming you're living on your own?" Skuld asked before drinking a sip of her own coke glass. The bartender had been a little confused at the two customers who looked exactly like each other (except for the clothes). In the end though, he concluded that the two were twins. 
> 
> "Yeah...It's good to have your own place but it gets kind of lonely sometimes, not having anyone there to make food when you're hungry..." Noriko sighed. 
> 
> "Really? I've always wanted a place of my own but I love my sisters too much to be separated from them too long," Skuld said. The differences and similarities between the two of them were amazing to discover. *But why am I here?* she thought to herself. 
> 
> "Noriko! There you are! I've been looking all over the place for you!" a male voice, somewhat familiar to Skuld's ears, shouted over the racket of the music. The two females looked over to see a Kenji look-alike, smiling as he came towards them and kissed Noriko. Skuld was stunned. They were...boyfriend-girlfriend? 
> 
> "Kenji! You won't believe who I found here. This is Skuld, Kenji. Skuld, Kenji. He's my boyfriend," Noriko smiled, beaming as she introduced Kenji to her. Kenji looked surprised but he seemed to take it quite well. 
> 
> "Wow, is she your twin? You look so much like each other, it's hard to believe! I guess I'll have to pay careful attention to who I kiss, huh?" Kenji said, laughing whole-heartedly. Noriko laughed and playfully socked him in the arm. Kenji mockingly sulked at her. Skuld could only watch this with amazement. So much amazement that she didn't realize that she was slowly fading away. 
> 
> "No, she's not, Kenji. You've met all my sisters, remember?....Hey, what were we talking about again? There seemed to be something..." Noriko said, shaking her head as if trying to remember. Kenji looked puzzled and shrugged it off as the two of them went to the dance floor to dance to a slow romantic song. The two had forgotten that Skuld had even been there. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> When Skuld snapped out of her self-induced stupor, she realized she was at a different place. No more loud music. Noriko and Kenji were no longer there in front of her. In fact, she was sitting at the edge of a cliff looking over what seemed to be a bunch of canyons and desserts. She realized that in her hand, she held a staff of some strange design. 
> 
> Her clothes had changed into a pale white color, and over it she had a white cloak of sorts. She also realized that there was some sort of head ornament placed on her head, but she couldn't figure out what she was. In a way, her dress was oddly comforting but she couldn't understand why. 
> 
> Then, out of nowhere, a shadow blocked out the sunlight and she had to use her free hand to shade her eyes when the sun came back. She looked up to see what the shadow was and her eyes widened when she saw what it was. A vulture. It was carrying bits of flesh and bone in its beak. 
> 
> Skuld turned towards where it came from, which was behind her. Her throat turned dry as she saw the amount of devastation and despair. It was eerily silent, with the wind accompanying her foosteps as she approached the mass of flesh and bone. Something had happened to cause this destruction, but she did not know what. She winced in disgust as she saw an eye fall out of a rotting skull, and when the vulture took it and swallow it in its mouth. 
> 
> Then, all of a sudden, the rotting mass seemed to vibrate. It scared off the vultures and made them circle the cliff, high above in the air. Skuld's eyes widened as she saw pieces of bones and rotting skeletons seem to assemble rise from their graves. Her nose was instantly assaulted by the foul smell of rotting flesh as the wind changed its direction. She winced and covered her nose with her free hand, the one that did not hold the staff. 
> 
> When she looked back at the mass, she began to see skeletal warriors carrying rotting swords and shields. The undead. They began to move all at once, towards her. She took a step back and realized that it was the edge of the cliff. The mass of bones moved closer towards her, making the distance between them lesser and lesser. 
> 
> "What do you want?" Skuld shouted towards them. 
> 
> "We want you to die!" the bones roared like a warcry all at once before rushing towards her. Fortunately, the undead didn't get to her yet. So she made up her mind and stepped back. And fell...into a black void. There was nothing. She couldn't feel anything, see anything. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Both her mind and body were confused. *Where am I?* she thought, searching for clues. Then, a voice from inside her spoke to her. 
> 
> Skuld, can you hear me? I'm from the future...the vision and place you saw where you broke up with Kenji...the place of your ultimate suffering... 
> 
> "Y-you're from _that_ future?" 
> 
> I see you get the point now. 
> 
> "You can't be!" 
> 
> Skuld, Skuld, Skuld...Don't try to deny what you know is true. I _am_ you! I am here to make sure you don't repeat the same mistakes! the voice inside her admonished. 
> 
> "No! This can't be possible! It was just a dream!" Skuld tried to push away the voice from reaching her, but found that she couldn't, not even when she blocked her ears. She couldn't even muffle any of the sounds. 
> 
> Skuld...Don't be so naive. Or have you forgotten your lesson? The lesson you've learnt during your time in my place? the voice asked her. 
> 
> "What lesson?" she asked in return, confused. 
> 
> Skuld...you are the guardian of time, Goddess of the Future. You hold the key...the key to all existence... 
> 
> "...What do you mean, key to existence?" 
> 
> Ah...Skuld...if I knew what I was getting into at your age...I'd probably quit my job if I could... 
> 
> "Why? Is it so difficult to handle?" 
> 
> Yes....for you...I...we...must control the balance of good and evil, wrong and right....but you see, I forget that what is wrong...is not the opposite of good...but just isn't just good... 
> 
> "So what do you want from me? The past?" 
> 
> I need to take control of your actions, if you will. I have to fix a paradox that happens in your time. Can I do that, Skuld? Will you trust me enough to let me do this? 
> 
> "What do you mean? What are you going to do?" 
> 
> I'm going to fix the paradox, Skuld. Trust me. 
> 
> "How am I supposed to if you're not going to tell me what you're going to do?" 
> 
> Skuld...Gosh, was I really that stubborn when I was your age? You weren't even going to take my advice on dumping Kenji, are you? Not even if you knew what the future was going to be? 
> 
> "...H-how did you know that?" 
> 
> I know you, Skuld. I _am_ you. Now give up and let me fix that paradox! 
> 
> "Will you let me get back to my own dimension?" 
> 
> Yes, yes..._that_ is where the paradox is, in fact. 
> 
> "Really?" 
> 
> Yes. Now hurry up already! 
> 
> "...How am I supposed to 'give up'?" 
> 
> Argh! Just say yes and I'll barge in! 
> 
> "Yes." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "I'm afraid you've got 'Wild Magic' upon your hands. I'm not exactly sure how to treat it myself. Usually the Manifest does not behave as such. It may be because she is in our world, and not in her own," Gorshel the Healer said. Gorshel was probably the best Healer this dimension had, and it had taken them weeks to get here--even at Ryo-oki's fastest speed. 
> 
> "...Is there a chance though?" Washu asked hopefully. 
> 
> "There's a definite but slim chance. I can wake her ...and that'll bring her out of the Manifestation for a while, but..." Gorshel paused, stroking his beard. 
> 
> "But what?" Ryoko asked impatiently. 
> 
> "She will continue to have Visions and her Manifest will continue. It must, in order for her to accept who she is. I don't know how long she'll stay conscious before she slips back in. You say she's an immortal?" Gorshel asked. 
> 
> "Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" Washu asked. 
> 
> "Then we can do nothing. I can wake her, but...I will not be able to stop the Visions. She must learn to control them, or she will die when she loses her mind. Yes, die. Immortals can die, believe it or not, when they lose control of themselves or their powers. I've seen this happen too many times..." Gorshel said as he put his right arm above Skuld's eyes. They instantly flashed open. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Arise, Immortal. How are you feeling?" Gorshel asked Skuld. 
> 
> "I...I'm going through the Manifest, aren't I?" Skuld asked, not answering Gorshel's question. 
> 
> "Aye, Child. You are," Gorshel replied. 
> 
> "...That explains the Visions. Do you know how to stop them, Gorshel of Thanas?" Skuld asked, surprising everyone in the room except Gorshel himself. That piece of information was known only to a group of previliged few. Thanas was a planet that had been destroyed eons ago by evil forces. 
> 
> "No, I do not...That Journey will be yours, and yours alone, to undertake, my friend," Gorshel replied, bowing deeply once before he left the room to take care of other patients. 
> 
> "...What was _that_ all about?" Ryoko said after Gorshel closed the door, still stunned. 
> 
> "...I've gained The Knowledge about the Past and Present. To be the Goddess of the Future, I must be the Master of Past and Present...to know and understand everything there is to know and understand," Skuld said as if she had memorized it. To Washuu and Ryoko, she looked totally different. So unlike the teenager who had one day barged into their dimension. She seemed to have aged so much in so little time. 
> 
> "...Are you all right?" Washu asked, not really understanding what just happened still. 
> 
> "I am fine, for the moment. But...if I don't learn to control my Visions, I...I'll die, won't I?" Skuld said rhetorically. There was an eerie silence to the room. 
> 
> "...That's what he told us," Washu replied. 
> 
> "I see..." Skuld said. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she started coughing madly, unable to stop. She put a hand to her mouth and when she took it away, she was surprised to see blood. Fresh blood, covering the palm of her hand. 
> 
> "I'll go get Gorshel!" Ryoko shouted as she went through the nearest wall. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "This is all I can do for her right now. Her body is not used to her new-found abilities and only time and an absolute control of her powers will allow her to adjust. If she does not, she will die. It is as simple as that. I will be in my laboratory to work on a potion to slow down the Manifest, but...if the Wild Magic gets to her, it will be too late," Gorshel said before leaving the room along with Washu, who had volunteered her knowledge to help him. 
> 
> Ryoko, who had been left to guard Skuld, unexpectedly felt tears running down her face. Skuld beckoned her friend to her bedside and they held each other for a while, until the sadness went away. Ryoko, who had always been so strong and so optimistic, now looked so out of character that Ryo-oki was surprised. 
> 
> "Ryoko, why are you crying?" Skuld asked her friend, stroking her hair as Ryoko wiped her tears on her sleeves. 
> 
> "I'm not crying! I'm just allergic, that's all!" Ryoko snapped unexpectedly, turning away to try and stop her tears from coming down. 
> 
> "Don't deny what you know is true, Ryoko...Denial will hurt you even more later on along the way. Remember that. You _were_ crying, and that's good," Skuld said, as she closed her eyes. But the fear of more visions clouded her mind, so she stayed awake. 
> 
> "W-what do you mean, Skuld?" Ryoko asked. 
> 
> "There are two kinds of people in this universe, Ryoko. I want you to remember that. One kind is those who freely express their feelings without fearing any reprimand. Although they may experience more sadness, but it is a light kind of sadness, and they can satisfied that they have voiced their opinion. The other kind is the kind who hides their feelings inside, hoping that they will go away. They are the ones who experience the extremes of happiness and the extremes of unhappiness. Most of them end up becoming serial killers..." Skuld said. 
> 
> "Are you saying I'm a serial murderer?" Ryoko asked, irritated. 
> 
> "No, Ryoko, I'm merely stating a fact. But you _would_ become one, if you don't handle Tenchi's affair soon. I can sense it, the way you speak of...Ayeka, was it? You would kill for her," Skuld said. 
> 
> "What are you talking about? I want Tenchi to be my husband, and if not, my lover!" Ryoko said, frowning at the way the conversation was going. 
> 
> "There you go again, Ryoko. Why can't you admit you like her? Almost, if not the same, as your precious Tenchi? Is that why you get into so many fights with her? Think about it. You would fight simply because of some dumb excuse..." Skuld said before she drifted to sleep. 
> 
> Ryoko sat there fuming. There was Skuld, one of her newest friends, and she was insulting the way she handled her relationship? *Ayeka? Is she going nuts or something?* she practically snarled in her mind. But back in the recesses of her mind, she felt a little guilty...a little guilty because in a way, it _was_ true. She had thought of Ayeka almost like a sister. Too bad they liked the same guy. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "...What are you going to do now?" Washu asked sadly as she told Skuld the results the next day. It didn't look so good, but she was going to try and change them by challenging the odds. They had given her some medicine and she looked much better. But the crisis wasn't over. It hadn't even begun. The blood was only the first signs of trouble. 
> 
> "I'm so tired, Washu...I want to back home. I miss my sisters. Do you think you can do that for me?" Skuld asked Washu. Her voice was cracked and very emotional. 
> 
> "If I can do it once, I can do it again, Skuld...But are you sure you want to do this?" Washu asked, putting a hand on Skuld's shoulder. Skuld didn't reply but her head slowly nodded. Washu silently crept away from her and closed the door. After a while, Skuld shuddered--but no one knew whether or not it is from the winter cold or because of the tears that had suddenly found themselves running down her face. 
> 
> ***** END OF PART 3 ***** 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: This part is more spiritual and theoretical in the sense that Skuld has prescience and she manifests her powers, but it is truly one of my saddest and darkest written works so far. I was inspired by Raistlin (think DragonLance, the fantasy novel--one of my favs) and Caramon's mother, who couldn't control her visions and died because she couldn't wake up from them often enough... 
> 
> Kudos to: 
> 
> Brett-If it weren't for you and 'Oh! My God!', I'd never have written this in the first place. For that I'm truly grateful. There's just two things you need to do to make me even happier: update your homepage, and get the time to finish that Chia-Yao Interlude! 
> 
> Feir-You and your feminist comments...really! *hrrmph* Carol'll have a field day about this *sly grin*. Just kidding! I'm glad I have you for my sounding board! Next agenda? Help me study for that AP Bio exam! (panicking already) 
> 
> Jay-You've been the most enthusiastic pre-reader as of yet. I don't want to get rid of that Ranma 1/2 version yet (the bathroom scenes are just too good to miss)-yeah, the idea you gave me and the first basis for this interlude. Side story maybe? *grin* We'll see... 
> 
> YOU-What can I say? You made it through, didn't you? Congratulations! Thanks for all the encouragement. If you've made it this far (I mean, there _are_ some really far out concepts in this chapter) I can only hope to improve my style! *grin* 
> 
> *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: http://home.earthlink.net/~esharpe/table.of.contents.html
   [6]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [7]: ai1.html
   [8]: side.html



	8. An Innocent Wish Part 1: Demons On The H...

An Innocent Wish Part 1: Demons On The Hunt

> ****
> 
> Chapter 4.R: "An Innocent Wish"   
An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Ranma 1/2 x-over 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. and Feir. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) This story and the characters of This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters of Morgall and Raich are concepts by Feir. The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. 
> 
> The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of Ed Sharpe. The characters true to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read chapter 1 or part 1, please read it! 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Morisato Kenji...now where have I heard this name before?" Rhiana wondered as she racked her worn-out neurons to figure this piece of information out. She was simply too tired--after all, she had been trying to get her assignments finished as soon as possible (she had a stack of them, in fact). As a demigod, (yes, she was one of those half-mortals...and no, she wasn't exactly a mistake either, since her parents loved each other very much) no one knew what her powers she would have--not even Kami-sama Himself. 
> 
> Therefore, since she had little to do and there was a huge pile of cases waiting on Belldandy's old desk, she was asked to take over until her abilities manifested and her job permanently assigned. Not that she actually complained, of course. She loved granting people wishes--after all, they were only granted to people who deserved them, and that was why she loved watching their faces light up after their wishes were granted. 
> 
> As she mused over this piece of information on how she got that job, she neglected to remember who Belldandy had been 'assigned for life' to. *It was a Keiichi something-or-other...* she thought. She didn't usually remember last names since there were so many people with the same ones anyway. 
> 
> "Well I'll figure that little piece of information out later," she said as she aimed her redirection ray at Kenji's phone. Any call he made out would reach this office, and she would be the one to take it. You see, it wasn't a coincidence that mortals reached the office's phone number. After all, how would they know what number to call? She chuckled at the way this office worked. It was quite ingenious. 
> 
> "Revenge is a dish best served cold."   
--Klingon proverb. 
> 
> **PART 1: DEMONS ON THE HUNT**
> 
> Windchimes sounded; their delicate, glassy ringing almost haunting in the empty hallways. The spire's sole occupant paid the sound little mind; alone in a maze of drafty corridors, Loki's attention was fixed on the boiling mists below. The fog always was a bad sign; on most days, the skies were clear enough to see the distant mountain peaks, stretching out in all directions. But today, he could barely see beyond the walls of his refuge. An omen, perhaps? 
> 
> For the first time, the God felt something close to apprehension. It was all coming together too soon; he'd counted on at least a few more years, if not more. Now, he had weeks at best; every further day of inactivity meant he was one step closer to losing everything he'd worked so hard for. Immortals! He remembered, with a sharp pang, exactly why he despised them as much as he did--always blundering into where they weren't supposed to venture; always interfering with his plans. _Especially_ the young ones... 
> 
> His fingers brushed the frost-circuits etched into the chamber wall, snaking away into the distance. Lacking the resources of the other Gods and Goddesses, he'd had to make due with what was given; and despite his reputation as a trickster, Loki was equally capable of ruthless patience--provided it suited his own needs. Each crystal, suspended into sub-zero temperatures; perfectly aligned and attuned for one purpose only -- to keep track of his fellow immortals. It had taken years to complete; carvings becoming more and more complex as alternate realities and pocket universes were added, one by one. 
> 
> It was his finest creation; its existence carefully kept a secret from the other immortals. That, however, would change soon enough. He stopped in front of one set of lines, newer than the rest; only days old. "Where is she?" he whispered, tracing the circuit a little further. Words began to form in the ice; delicate letters melting out of the cold with the intensity of a naked flame. 
> 
> **Drifting between realities. It is difficult to trace her progress, master. Her movement between the planes...past, present, future -- too unpredictable. Too variable.**
> 
> "Can you give me an approximation?" 
> 
> **We cannot. apologies.**
> 
> "Is she still trapped in the rift?" 
> 
> **Perhaps. We cannot be certain.**
> 
> Well. 
> 
> Loki exhaled sharply, hot breath turning into vapor as it met the winter air. This was going to be a little more difficult than he had anticipated. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "This is the Goddess Relief Office, Rhiana speaking. I'll be with you in a minute," a young lady's voice said quite amusedly in the speaker. Kenji looked at the phone stupidly; he had tried to call his classmate Noda for help in doing his homework and it turned out that he had called the wrong number. 
> 
> He was about to say that he was sorry about getting the wrong number but nothing came out of his mouth. He was too startled by the fact that a beautiful young woman (known to us as Rhiana, but unbeknownst to him of course) wearing a strange catchy outfit of blue and gold had appeared from his toilet room and was currently leaning back on his desk, watching him. 
> 
> "I suppose I should introduce myself, no? My name is Rhiana and I am a Goddess. Morisato Kenji, you've been deemed...worthy of a wish. What would you like? You can have anything...except me and another wish," Rhiana said. She had said the 'except me' part in consideration as to what happened to Belldandy. 
> 
> "...Huh?" Kenji asked stupidly. Rhiana rolled her eyes and frowned at him. 
> 
> "Look, I haven't got a lot of time to spare, mortal. Make your wish fast and let me get outta here. I've got other wishes to grant!" Rhiana snapped. She sighed. She definitely needed to get some sleep. She promised that after this case, she would do so. 
> 
> *If what she's saying is true...should I ask for her to come back and stay with me forever?* Kenji thought. *Or should I ask her to make me rich, or become a girl-magnet, or...* 
> 
> "Guys. All you think about are girls and material wealth...Geez," Rhiana grinned as she looked at Kenji. 
> 
> "Huh? You can read my thoughts?" Kenji asked, horrified, backing away into a corner. 
> 
> "Hey, it's pretty easy. And besides, I didn't have to do that...the way you were drooling practically um...said that out loud..." Rhiana laughed out loud. 
> 
> "I wasn't drooling!...was I?" Kenji asked, a little embarassed. 
> 
> "I was just joking, Morisato. Have you decided what you wanted for a wish?" Rhiana asked. 
> 
> "Not yet. How many cases do you still have to grant wishes to anyway?" 
> 
> "Hm...let me see. According to my count, about a million or two more to go. Of course, they're added daily, which makes the job even more frustrating. If you want me to come back in a day or two...or better yet, do you want me to do this again in your next life? You could ask for that, you know. Maybe _then_ there would be something you would want," Rhiana smiled as she taunted Kenji's indecisiveness. 
> 
> "Hey! I wish you would take me seriously for once!" Kenji protested. Rhiana's eyes widened in shock and sure enough, the brilliant-light maneuvre did its job with her forehead (although there weren't any signs on her forehead yet--she was still a demigoddess, mind you), and she was left pretty worn out afterwards. 
> 
> Rhiana's eyes glazed over for a second or two and then they were alert once more. She looked at Kenji strangely and quickly grabbed the phone, to which she dialled a highly complex number (the hotline for Kami-sama's office, by the way). After she got through His secretary and a little talk with the Boss, Rhiana was shocked to find out that she was supposed to take him with her for an undetermined period of time. 
> 
> *Apparently, the Yggdrassil seriously needed upgrades to fix the loopholes of the human vocabulary and language! How could they take Kenji's wish and turn it some hellish tour?* Rhi angrily thought while boring holes into Kenji's mortal body. 
> 
> "Damn it! I have to take you along while I do my job? What kind of sick immortal would play this sort of joke with me?" she yelled as she waved her fist (which showed a certain finger) at the sky, cursing all the while. A flash of lightning in the brilliant sunlight startled her and she cringed. 
> 
> "...Er...what the hell happened?" Kenji asked, not understanding what had happened. He was big-sweating and was uncomfortable under Rhiana's accusing stare. 
> 
> "Morisato, you've done it. I told you not to mention me at all when you were wishing for something, but _no_....you go and do this...Now I'm stuck with you! I've got to take you around the block and show you the whole damn neighborhood!...'For an undetermined period of time' He said...Humph! It could last until the End of Time, for all I know..." Rhiana ranted. 
> 
> "Hey...if you're so angry about what I wished for, I'm sorry, OK? It's just that you kept teasing me all the time. If you didn't do that, I would've and could've wished for something else...now I'm kind of stuck with you too, don't forget," Kenji said back at Rhiana. He didn't exactly like Rhiana's attitude *She is simply...too bossy!* he thought. 
> 
> "Too bossy? Morisato, I'm tired and I'm hungry. I haven't eaten or slept right for the last month or two and now I've got to take you along for a little joy ride, so put up with the attitude! C'mon, we're going to my place and I'm going to get a little shut-eye before I continue my wish-granting," Rhiana said as she grabbed Kenji and dragged him along with her. 
> 
> They went to the bathroom and Kenji wondered what they were doing there. The tub was full of water and it took a moment for him to notice that they were going towards the tub. When Rhiana jumped in the direction of the tub and teleported, Kenji was sucked into the water as well. But that was, of course, after a good amount of surprised yelling on the part of Kenji. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Stop vomitting on my office floor and get yourself together, Morisato. I've got too many things to do other than to clean up that piece of mess! You'll have to do this yourself...I wouldn't even allow my assistant near that," Rhiana grimaced as she watched Kenji empty out the contents of his stomach in mere seconds. Good thing she got him to face the right way, or else her computer could have gotten short-circuited. 
> 
> "...I don't feel so good," Kenji said, moaning and clutching his stomach with a pale look on his face. 
> 
> "How would _I_ know you had a motion sickness problem?" Rhiana sighed as she went to get a towel. Once she did, she handed it to him and he got started. 
> 
> "I usually don't. That ride was something else!" Kenji said, still a little bewildred. 
> 
> "Oh, I forgot. It's your first time, isn't it. I nearly did the same thing when I used it for the first time, but you sort of get used to it as time goes by," Rhiana said sheepishly. 
> 
> "I'm glad I'm not the only one," Kenji said. 
> 
> "The bathroom's to your right, Morisato. You can dump and wash the mess in the sink over there while I check what my next assignment is," Rhiana said casually as she flipped on her computer and pressed the down arrow. She had crossed offf Kenji's case from her list since she was technically finished with him. 
> 
> "Hm...well, well. Looks like we'll go for a little joyride to a lucky person named Saotome Ranma," Rhiana said, watching the next target as the satelite showed that she was balancing on the fence. She frowned. Wasn't Saotome a guy? It said so on her file...Her eyes scanned the file to see if there were any errors. Ah. Jusenkyo...Hm? What's this? Dealt with Brett Handy, God of Destiny? Interesting. So such an immortal encounter isn't his first, eh? 
> 
> "Who?" Kenji said as sounds of running water came from the bathroom. 
> 
> "Some martial arts Japanese who accidentally fell into Jusenkyo, the magic pools. He turns into a girl when cold water is splashed on him, and hot water reverts him back to his male form. Just let me do the talking, OK, Morisato?" Rhiana asked. 
> 
> "Sure, sure. What exactly is my role when I go with you anyway?" Kenji asked. 
> 
> "Well I'm not sure but I guess there's got to be a reason why Kami-sama wants you to stick around. Think you can take another trip without regurgitating, Morisato, or should I bring one of those bags?" Rhiana teased. Kenji blushed and mumbled that it wasn't necessary. *I've got nothing else to regurgitate anyway* he thought as an afterword. 
> 
> "I heard that, you know," Rhiana said, laughing lightly before they were off to wait for Ranma to reach a phone. Any phone. Kenji realized that Rhiana's laugh wasn't an unpleasant sound. But after a few hours of waiting and history searching, they both realized that Ranma had never gone near or used a phone in his entire life. Talk about uncivilized. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Saotome Ranma?" an unfamiliar but definitely female voice asked him from behind. He turned around to see a beautiful girl dressed in an odd garment. There was a guy behind her but he was just watching them both expectantly for something to happen. 
> 
> "...You're not another fiance, are you? Please don't tell me my father's engaged me to another fiance," Ranma said, backing up to a defensive stance. 
> 
> "I'm not, trust me. My name is Rhiana. I'm here to grant you a wish, but because you never went to the phone, it was kind of hard for us to...er...grant you that wish," Rhiana said. 
> 
> "...Are you one of those immortals like Brett was?" Ranma asked, curious. 
> 
> "Yes, as a matter of fact. I've read and heard a little of your...escapade together, and I must say I found it amusing. So now you've got a chance to make a difference in your life. What do you want to wish for?" Rhiana asked. 
> 
> "Anything?" Ranma asked. 
> 
> "Well, except for getting other wishes and anything to do with me," Rhiana said a little bitterly. Kenji winced at her tone when she said 'anything to do with me.' 
> 
> "Oh. OK. Is it possible to take my curse away?" Ranma asked. 
> 
> "Hm...I don't know. But Jusenkyo isn't a power to be reckoned with, so you'll probably get splashed with some other water along the way," Rhiana said after she consulted a little palm top. 
> 
> "What about just having one fiance, who I know I'll live happily ever after with?" Ranma asked. 
> 
> "Yes. That can be done. All you have to do is say the name of the girl and in the wish format, and you'll be done," Rhiana said, looking expectantly at Ranma. He was strangely complacent as he mused about which fiance he should choose. Then he opened his mouth. 
> 
> "I wish I didn't have to choose between those girls," he said. Then he realized what he said. Kenji had facefaulted beforehand and seconds later Rhiana was doing the light-thing. 
> 
> "Wait! Wait! I didn't mean it that way!" he said, trying to get another chance. 
> 
> "Too late, Saotome. I'm sorry if it wasn't to you liking..." Rhiana said as she dropped back to the ground. 
> 
> "What does it mean?" he asked in a sickeningly panicky voice. 
> 
> "I don't know, but good luck, Saotome...you're going to need it," Rhiana said before she and the guy behind her vanished into thin air. He collapsed to the ground on his knees, wondering which direction his life was going to end up in. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Well, _that_ could have ended up better," Kenji commented as they teleported back to Rhiana's office. Rhiana just looked at him with a blithering gaze that made him really melt before turning away and going to the bathroom. *Is it that time of the month or something for her?* he thought. 
> 
> "Look, pal, I asked them to make a wish and it's not my fault if they said the wrong thing, OK? I'm not here to fix things up, just give the people in need a chance to get their heart's desires. You don't have to say anything about it," Rhiana snapped as she got out of the bathroom. She couldn't help her moodiness; she was so tired. She was dressed in casual attire now, in shorts and a T-shirt that said in microscopic words, 'If you can read this, you're a pervert!'. Kenji blushed at being able to read those words. Rhiana didn't seem to pay any attention. 
> 
> "I'm going to teleport back to my own pocket dimension to get some shut-eye before I have to work throught the next assignment. I've asked Jargon, my assistant, to set up a bed here at the office. If you need anything, just press this button and he'll go over here and help you with whatever you need. You're already acquainted with the shower," Rhiana said before she left. 
> 
> "Brr...Is she always that cold to everyone?" Kenji said after she left, pretending to shiver. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "It's been a while." 
> 
> Loki didn't reply, settling for fixing the pair of demons in front of him with the coldest glare he could muster. He hated working with Gillains on principle more than anything. Most demons had little more than animal cunning, but this particular variety was both shrewd and ruthless. Few could control them; fewer still could do it for any length of time. The fewest still had survived the experience unscathed. It was one of the most basic rules Immortals learnt -- never make deal with a Gillain. 
> 
> But it was only a temporary alliance at best. Once he had want he wanted from Skuld, that wouldn't matter anymore. The Gillains would be bowing at his feet ...like everyone else. 
> 
> These two were twins; both in human shape with delicate features and exquisitely pale skin; a sharp contrast to their raven-black hair. They were beautiful, but it was a predatory beauty, meant to be admired from a distance. Never up close. 
> 
> "What would you have of us?" the male Gillain asked. His name was Raich; he projected a constant expression of boredom, with the same overtones of smug superiority that characterised all Gillains. 
> 
> "You mentioned an offer," the female, Morgall, added after a moment. Her tone of voice made it painfully clear that she considered this whole exercise to be a waste of her time. 
> 
> "I happen to require your assistance in a matter of personal interest." Loki's hand traced through the air, weaving a vague outline that slowly resolved itself into a face. "Familiar?" 
> 
> "No." the demons snapped in unison. 
> 
> "Her name is Skuld. She is one of the Norns currently residing on the mortal realm." 
> 
> "Such a pretty little thing," Raich sighed, caressing the illusory likeness with one finger. "What place does she occupy in your schemes, Trickster?" 
> 
> "None; and there lies the problem, I fear. I require her cooperation; but it is doubtful that she will do so of her own free will. On the other hand, if I were to exert a little additional pressure..." 
> 
> "How dull." Raich yawned theatrically. "Somehow I'd have expected something with a little more...flair." 
> 
> Loki ignored the comment, sketching a second outline into air. 
> 
> "This, on the other hand, is Rhiana; a Valkyrie, and a...close friend to Skuld." 
> 
> Morgall, who until now had been studying the woman's face, smiled grimly at this. "A fighter." The smile became a little more unpleasant. "_And_ a demigoddess. Good. I could use a challenge." 
> 
> "Unfortunately, it may be a little more difficult than that. Rhiana has currently assumed the wish-granting duties of another Norn, Belldandy, at the Goddess Relief Office...which also means that she has their resources at her disposal." 
> 
> "No worries." Raich said casually. "Just tell us what you want us to do...and we'll tell you what it'll cost you." The demon's smile joined that of his sister; a crooked, sinister expression. "Rest assured you won't get off lightly." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Who's next on your list?" 
> 
> "Just shut up for a minute, will you, Morisato? It's eight in the morning and I'm not what you mortals would call a morning person," Rhiana irritably stabbed at her computer, trying to coax some life out of the frozen screen. The last thing she needed right now was a computer failure--and Kenji's persitent questioning wasn't improving her mood any. 
> 
> "About time." she muttered under her breath as the file finally opened. She was afraid she was about to resort to banging her monitor or taking it apart. It was the very first one she built out of scrap junk from some mortal junkyard. A big feat, nonetheless, considering the way the parts were messed up in the yard. She studied the file in a thoughtful manner, leaning back against her chair. Kenji had silently sneaked behind her to watch what she was doing and she hadn't noticed. 
> 
> At least this one was ordinary enough -- Miyabayashi Kimiko, college student currently studying in Sapporo; no previous encounters with immortals or other unusual characteristics. It was almost too good to be true. The satellite feed showed a young woman, curled up in a foetal ball and sound asleep. Her face was buried in a thick volume on molecular biology; discarded ramen cups and indecipherable notes were scattered around her bed. 
> 
> *Typical student, all right.* she thought. She sighed. Another long day ahead of her. 
> 
> "Do you immortals indulge in voyeurism all the time?" Kenji's whisper near her ear made her jump. 
> 
> "Shit! Don't ever sneak up on me like that ever again, Morisato, or I'll borrow Thor's hammer and pound the Hell out of you!" Rhiana exclaimed, trying to calm herself down. 
> 
> "Sheesh! You told me to be quiet!" Kenji said defensively. He had caught a whiff of Rhiana's perfume and realized it was drawing him to her. By then, of course, it was too late. He had seen the data and realized what Rhiana was looking at. A half-naked and quite beautiful woman sleeping in a..._very_ interesting position. 
> 
> "Just don't...hey, you pervert! What are you looking at?" Rhiana asked as she realized that Kenji was staring at the screen. She turned her head around towards the screen as well and was pretty taken by the sight. The woman was stretching quite provocatively, obviously waking up from her sleep. It took a few seconds before Rhiana snapped to her senses and bonked Kenji on the head. 
> 
> "Ow!" Kenji muttered but still keeping his eyes on the screen. 
> 
> "...Pervert," Rhiana said under her breath as she tried to keep her eyes off the screen as well. 
> 
> "What about you? You were staring at her too!" Kenji said as the woman moved away from the bed. He had finally gotten his senses back. He didn't realize Rhiana started to blush as well. Rhiana tried to save herself from further humiliation by coming up with a quick explanation for her...somewhat unexpected behavior. 
> 
> "...So? I'm a woman. We're used to this sort of exposure!" Rhiana said, hoping he would take the explanation. *Mortals don't seem to handle bisexualness easily* she thought. 
> 
> "Yes, yes. I'm sure. So when are we going to get her wish granted?" Kenji asked, changing the subject. 
> 
> "Today. If she doesn't get near the phone or there's something wrong with the phone, we approach her ourselves," Rhiana said. More quietly, she added, "Let's hope this one actually _uses_ a phone." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Two hours later, Rhiana set down the phone receiver. 
> 
> "Doesn't _anyone_ answer their damned phone these days?" she sighed, pulling up Miyabayashi's file on her palmtop. "This is starting to get habit-forming..." 
> 
> Kenji smiled. The prospect of paying a house call didn't seem that bad, actually. 
> 
> "And you're staying here." Rhiana added, after a moment's thought. 
> 
> "What? I thought I was supposed to accompany you _everywhere_." Kenji whined. Rhiana glared at him in exasperation. 
> 
> "I think it'd be better for all concerned if you sat this one out." She started towards the portal, then turned around again, as if she had forgotten something. "One more thing, Morisato -- in the meantime, do me a favor, and take a cold shower. A nice, long, _cold_ shower." 
> 
> "Why?" 
> 
> "It'll help that staring problem of yours, for a start." 
> 
> "No, I mean...why do I have to stay here?" 
> 
> "Because I don't want you harrassing our clients, that's why!" Rhiana snapped, perhaps just a little too quickly. 
> 
> "Not for any other reason?" Kenji asked innocently. 
> 
> "NO!" 
> 
> "Are you sure about that?" 
> 
> Rhiana unconciously flushed red. Had he caught on to her? 
> 
> "Of course I'm sure, Morisato." Seeing Kenji start to say something, she quickly added, "But if you really want to go..." 
> 
> "So I can?" 
> 
> "Provided you shut up and let me do all the talking." 
> 
> Kenji shrugged. That seemed like a good compromise. 
> 
> "Okay. Let's go." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Nice house for a college student." Kenji remarked as they walked up the door. Rhiana nodded in agreement, happy to have him distracted for once. The look on his face was just a little too...smug for her liking. She gave the house the once-around. Kenji was right; it was a rather nice house -- large and airy, with surrounding garden and ornamental fish pond, it had the expensive look that careful design and real estate selection created. Whoever Miyabayashi's parents were, they obviously made enough to live in style. 
> 
> "Wait outside." Rhiana said, stopping at the front door. "It'll only be a minute." 
> 
> "But--" 
> 
> "Morisato, _please_ don't argue....just this once. I've had enough stress for one day." 
> 
> Kenji was about to argue, but the pleading, worn-out look in Rhiana's eyes made the words die in his mouth. He mutely nodded. 
> 
> Subsconciously sighing with relief, Rhiana tried the door handle. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. However, for a demi-goddess, this didn't present too much of an obstacle. She pressed one finger over the key slot, whispered a few words under her breath, and focused. There was a tiny click as the tumblers in the lock rearranged themselves, then fell into place. Carefully, Rhiana opened the door and stepped inside. 
> 
> The interior of the house was pretty much what she'd expected -- a display of wealth, and an obstenaceous one at that; all intricate tapestries and ancient vases, hidden behind layers of bulletproof glass. *Well, _I_ wouldn't mind living here...although it seems a little draughty* she thought, whistling at the cost all of the furniture must have been. 
> 
> The palmtop displayed that the target, Miyabayashi, was still in the walk-in closet, choosing her outfit. Wherever that was. She tried to make her way up the stairs to the second floor and after a few minutes of endless searching, she realized she was lost in a maze of rooms and halls. Strange. It didn't seem that big from the outside. She pushed some buttons on her palmtop in the hopes of getting a map of the area but evidently the one mainframe had was outdated. There were simply too many rooms, and she didn't know where to go. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Outside the Miyabayashi compound, Kenji was fiddling around and bothering the ornamental trout. If they were real, at least he could feed them. He had a few miscellaneous things up in his pocket. He hoped they liked Cheeze-its. He threw a few pieces in the pond and was puzzled when they stayed on top of the surface and bounced a little. 
> 
> He decided to test the water and was surprised to find that the surface was solid. He instantly pulled his hand away. There was something strange going on, and it bugged him real bad. He decided to check on Rhiana and looked in the window. Strange. A minute ago, it was fully decorated. Now, it was dark and looked quite ugly. Almost spooky. 
> 
> Feeling somewhat worried, he backed away from the window and headed to the front door. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> There was no doubt about it. She was lost -- completely, utterly, and hopelessly lost. 
> 
> Everything seemed to be blending together into one endless corridor; and no matter how long she walked for, she always seemed to be arriving back at the beginning; back at the front door. 
> 
> Was it just her imagination, or was it getting a little darker? She consulted her watch -- five PM. 
> 
> Strange. Hadn't it been three when they arrived? Kenji must have been worried by now. 
> 
> Well, that wasn't too much of a problem. Just open the front door, and-- 
> 
> She suddenly was aware of a presence behind her. On instinct, she turned around to find a tall, dark-haired woman, leaning against the wall expectantly. 
> 
> "Miyabayashi Kimiko?" 
> 
> "That would be me." the women responded in a cool tone. "I take it you have a good reason for breaking into this house?" 
> 
> "I've been looking for you..." Rhiana began. 
> 
> Miyabayashi smiled. Somehow, the expression did not look pleasant at all. 
> 
> "Well, now I suppose you've found me. What do you want?" 
> 
> "I'm supposed to grant you a wish...." 
> 
> "Oh?" Miyabayashi shrugged casually. "That's easy enough. I wish that you would take a nice, long nap...right now. You will continue to sleep until you hear the word 'Ragnarok' -- and not a moment before. Clear?" 
> 
> "What the hell kind of wish is that?" Rhiana snapped. "You--" 
> 
> Without warning, Rhiana collapsed on the floor. Above her, Morgall/Miyabayashi Kimiko grinned. 
> 
> "All too easy." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Damn. The door won't open. How did she do that trick again?" Kenji asked himself, rattling the doorknob with his barehands. He was a little more than frustrated. He had spent the better half of an hour trying to get inside. 
> 
> "Maybe there's an open window somewhere...Damn, I feel like a burglar," Kenji muttered to himself as he went around the house grounds to look for exactly that. He noticed a light in one of the rooms and peered in. Rhiana on the ground, with two figures above her. He recognized one as Miyabayashi Kimiko. He couldn't put a name to the other character though, and he watched wide-eyed as they lifted Rhiana by just waving their hands. They were carrying her to another room, one which had no windows. 
> 
> He looked around to see whether or not he could get in from this side. He looked up. The drain-pipe. There was an open window at the end. *I hope I don't get killed doing this* he thought to himself as he started to climb the drain-pipe as stealthily as he could. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "What was that?" 
> 
> "Nothing," Morgall hissed, lowering Rhiana to the floor. "Just your overactive imagination, dear brother." 
> 
> "I could have sworn I heard something...." The demon held out one hand, then focused. A ghostly light suffused his tight grip; when it faded, he was holding a small submachinegun. Its black casing gleamed in the low lighting. 
> 
> "Well, investigate if you must. I'll stay here." 
> 
> "Right...." Raich said, slowly starting out the door. He hoped, for his own sake, that it _was_ something. This assignment had been a little too dull for his taste so far. He paused outside the hall, looked around-- 
> 
> Ah. There it was again -- a metallic creaking; quiet enough for most humans to overhear, but threateningly loud in the demon's sensitive ears. He gripped the SMG tighter, and made his way downstairs. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Shit!!!" Kenji yelled as he nearly fell off the drain pipe. One of his hands (the one that got the Cheez-its out of his pocket a while ago to feed the nonexistent trout) had lost its grip on the drain pipe and he was barely holding on with just one hand. He only had his hands to work with--there were no areas for his feet to grab on. He forced his free hand to grab on the drain pipe again. *Phew! That was a close one!* he thought. 
> 
> "Well, well, well...what have we here?" 
> 
> The male voice startled the hell out of Kenji. He didn't dare turn and see who it was, but knew it probably came from the guy in the same room he saw Rhiana in. He held his breath for a long time; the roof of his mouth felt unaccountably dry. 
> 
> Then a loud meow broke the air. It was followed by a brief burst of gunfire, then a slightly more urgent noise. He heard claws scrabbling across the solid trout pond, and then it was quiet again. 
> 
> "Just a blasted cat," the male voice hissed. There were a few footsteps on the gravel, then a pause. Kenji froze again. "What the hell are these Cheez-its doing here?" Some more gravel rustled; then there was some protracted crunching. "Still fresh, too." 
> 
> Slowly, the footsteps receded into the distance again. Kenji inhaled sharply -- but not too sharply. Whatever that guy was packing, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. He readied himself for another move up the drain-pipe and gave a small groan as he forced his oxygen-depleted muscles to move up. And move up he did. He felt relieved when he reached the open window and climbed in. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "What was it?" Morgall asked, as her brother entered, finishing off a handful of Cheez-its crumbs. 
> 
> "Just a cat." Raich mumbled, spraying crumbs. With a loose gesture, he dispelled the SMG and settled down on the floor next to Rhiana's prostrate form. "How's Sleeping Beauty?" 
> 
> "Still dead to the world. What were you expecting?" 
> 
> Raich shrugged. "Got me. What are we waiting for?" 
> 
> "Loki. He wanted to claim his prize...personally." Morgall gave the sleeping Valkyrie a considering look, then smiled. "Too bad." 
> 
> Suddenly, there was a loud crash of ceramic. 
> 
> "That's no cat!" Raich hissed, summoning a pair of automatic pistols in mid-lunge. He was already out of the door before his sister could even react. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Who the hell would put a freaking vase in the middle of the floor?" Kenji muttered to himself. He knew he had to hide and found a hiding space in a box near the door. Within seconds, there were footsteps and the door was banged open. Two pairs of footsteps came in the room and one of them, the heavier one, stepped right in front of the box. Kenji held his breath as he did before, crossing his fingers. 
> 
> "--what do you think, dear brother?" a female voice asked. 
> 
> "The window's open...it could have been the wind--" 
> 
> "There's no wind here, you idiot." There was a pause. "We've got an intruder." 
> 
> Kenji could see a flash of light from his hiding place, then a steady pulsing sound. It was one of the most unnerving noises he'd heard in a long while. 
> 
> "I'm picking up a life reading..." the continued said. "Over here." 
> 
> There was another flash, and then the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked. 
> 
> "Allow me." 
> 
> *Ohhhhh, shit.* 
> 
> "Come out, come out, wherever you are..." the male piped in a singsong voice as he kneeled down in front of the box and gently eased the muzzle into the crack. 
> 
> Kenji had heard the expression 'down the barrel of a gun' before; but now, with the proverbial barrel hovering inches from his face, he realised just what an appropriate expression it was. At this range, the shells would blast straight through his head -- and keep going. On the other, whoever these two were, they were clearly toying with him. If they wanted him dead, they could have just pumped the box full of lead and saved themselves a lot of trouble. 
> 
> "He isn't coming out, is he?" the female voice asked. 
> 
> "Perhaps I shot off a few of his--_urk_!" 
> 
> Kenji's nervous energy went critical. His hands shot out around the shotgun's barrel and _yanked_ as hard as he could. The male, caught off-balance, couldn't keep his grip; Kenji quickly turned the weapon around the fired. 
> 
> "DAMN IT! That was my _foot_!" 
> 
> "Can't you do anything right today?" the female voice sighed in exasperation. "Quit whining and get out of my way! I'm going to take care of him." 
> 
> "Oh no you're not!" Kenji said as he aimed the gun at the direction of the voice, cocked it, and fired. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Rhiana...C'mon, wake up. Rhiana...Shit. How am I supposed to wake her up?" Kenji asked himself. "I wish Skuld was here. _She's_ the smart one. I wonder how I'm going to get out of this crazy house now without waking up the freaky twins." 
> 
> As he said those last few words, he glanced to the side and looked at the view before him. He sighed. It was a lucky shot. He had accidentally shot the chandelier off and it fell on top of the twins, unceremoniously knocking them out. 
> 
> "Oh well. I guess I'd better get us a place to stay in case you wake up," he said, lifting her over his shoulders. He had expected her to be a little heavier, but the less weight on his shoulders, the better. He had a ways to go before he reached the main road. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "You know what, Rhiana, you're not getting any lighter. You might want to wake up now and help me...by walking!" Kenji grumbled. He shifted his weight a little due to how Rhiana was positioned, and realized that he had never held another girl his age quite so close. He blushed. 
> 
> "Damn it, if it weren't for Skuld, I would've..." 
> 
> He had to pause for a moment to catch his breath, gently lowering the weight on his back to the ground. Rhiana more or less slid onto the pavement, completely motionless except for the rhymatic rise and fall of her chest. 
> 
> Kenji looked around. The street seemed to stretch out endlessly in both directions; at both sides, a hundred replicas of the Miyabayashi estate were lined up next to one another, as far as the eye could see. 
> 
> "Rhiana...I could really use your help right now..." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> There was a tinkle of broken crystal, then a long, drawn-out curse. 
> 
> "This is not the way things were supposed to go." Morgall groaned, rubbing her temples delicately. Even for a demon, being hit by a hundred-pound chandelier was _not_ a fun experience. 
> 
> "It's going to take _hours_ to regenerate that." Raich muttered as he righted himself and looking mournfully at the remains of his foot. "That was real leather, too." 
> 
> "Stop worrying about your footwear and start worrying about what will happen if we don't get those two back by the time Loki shows up." 
> 
> Raich pushed the rest of the chandelier off of his sister's body, then stretched luxuriantly, shaking the last few shards of glass out of his clothes. 
> 
> "No hurry, sister dear. As long as the Valkyrie is unconcious, that brat is going to be trapped here -- and there's only so many places he can hide." 
> 
> "Well, he'd better pray he can find a place to hide." the female demon hissed as she gingerly ran her fingers over a particularly nasty laceration. The wound was already healing. "Because when I find him, he'll be wishing he'd never been born." 
> 
> There was a bright flash of light-- 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Rhiana! Wake up! I can't carry you like this forever! What if they catch us?" Kenji asked, shaking Rhiana. She seemed oblivious to all the noise he was making and slept on. Kenji sighed and carried her as he would a drunken man. *I should have lifted more weights or something...Something tells me I'm not very fit* he thought miserably as his muscles ached. 
> 
> He heard something. It was just a little noise, but it made him paranoid enough to make a dash for the nearest Miyabayashi-look-alike estate and hide behind one of the bushes. *This is one weird place. Don't the people get bored of the design?* he asked himself. Then he realized something. He hadn't seen a soul ever since he had arrived. *Where _was_ everyone?* he wondered. The only other living things here were the trout--and that cat... 
> 
> Before he could press the point further, the sound of crunching gravel made him start involuntarily. 
> 
> *What the hell?* 
> 
> _crunch_
> 
> There it was again...a little louder; a little closer. Keeping a protective hand wrapped around Rhiana's wrist, he cocked the shotgun and waited with bated breath, hoping... 
> 
> _crunch_
> 
> _crunch_
> 
> *What kind of noise is that? Sounds like something really, really heavy...* 
> 
> _CRUNCH!_
> 
> Tiny pebbles flew in all directions, pelting him mercilessly -- then silence, save for a persistent humming, very close to his bush and growing louder all the time. Gathering all of his courage, Kenji carefully raised the shotgun and peered between the foliage-- 
> 
> *Oh, _SHIT_.* 
> 
> "Well, well. Looks like we caught our intruder, dear brother." 
> 
> Kenji managed a stupid little grin; not the easiest of feats in the face of 150 tons of armored fighting power. Strangely enough, he didn't feel afraid: he was afraid when he was clinging onto the drainpipe for his dear life, with a crazed, gun-toting demon waiting only meters below. This, on the other hand, was...unreal. 
> 
> Somewhere, in the midst of assorted devices of death and destruction, a small hatch popped open, revealing the thoughtful face of the male demon. 
> 
> "In hindsight, I think the mecha might have been overdoing it a bit." he commented as he gave Kenji the once-over. 
> 
> "Shut up, brother." the female snarled, emerging from her own armored shell to glare at him with undisguised hatred, over the barrel of a weapon that looked large enough to level a city block. "You little _bastard_. You dropped a chandelier on my head. Do you have any idea _how much that hurts_?" 
> 
> "Ease off the trigger, sis." the male cautioned. "We need her alive." 
> 
> "Don't worry. A few limbs more or less won't make too much of a difference. Besides...this is _personal_." 
> 
> Kenji took a deep breath, grin slowly widening into a rictus. On one hand, he had a shotgun, which looked like it wouldn't even scratch the paintjobs on the two mecha in front of him. On the other hand, the twins had enough firepower to lay waste to a sizable megalopolis. Either way he looked at it, he was well and truly screwed. 
> 
> "I don't suppose we could talk about this...?" There was a dull 'click' as another couple of weapons were pointed in his general direction. "I guess not." 
> 
> The male was speaking. 
> 
> "All right, mortal. Drop the weapon, stand up, and come out into the open. Otherwise...I can't be held responsible for what she might do to you." 
> 
> Kenji started to rise; but then froze. Somewhere in his panicked hindbrain, a plan had appeared; not a pleasant one, but he was all out of options. 
> 
> "Sorry, Rhiana." he whispered. Then he rose up, shotgun pressed against the Valkyrie's temple. "ALL RIGHT! NO SUDDEN MOVES, OR THE GIRL GETS IT!" *Where the hell did I get _that_ from?* he wondered in the privacy of his own head. *Too many action movies...* 
> 
> The female's voice dropped to an angry whisper. 
> 
> "You wouldn't." 
> 
> "Believe me, I really don't want to do this. But you two haven't given me a lot of options." 
> 
> "We could reduce you to a fine red mist at this range, you know." the male said conversationally. 
> 
> "And her, too." Kenji shot back. 
> 
> "What do you want?" 
> 
> "You're going to _bargain_ with him?" the female demanded. 
> 
> "What would you rather do, sis? Vaporise both of them and then have to explain the mess to Loki afterwards?" 
> 
> "Well..." 
> 
> "Okay, listen up." Kenji cut in. "Here's what I want. You've put her to sleep...somehow. I want you to wake her up now." 
> 
> There was a long, tense pause. Male and female exchanged a glance. 
> 
> Then the female sighed, head hanging in defeat. 
> 
> "All right...you win. Ragnarok." 
> 
> Rhiana's eyes flickered for a moment, then snapped open. 
> 
> "...Kenji? Where...am I? What happened?" There was a pause as she took in the situation for the first time. "_Why the hell are you waving that shotgun in my face_?" 
> 
> "It's a long story." Kenji sighed. "And I don't think these two are going to wait patiently while I tell it to you. How do we get out of here?" 
> 
> "There's a portal back at the entrance to the house..." 
> 
> Kenji gently pushed the shotgun against her back, then nodded. 
> 
> "Lead the way." 
> 
> **** 
> 
> The two Gillains watched soberly as the portal sealed up again, leaving nothing but empty space behind. The recriminations started two seconds later. 
> 
> "Damn it, damn it, _DAMN IT_!" Morgall poked one armored finger angrily at her brother. "This all your fault, you brainless wonder!" 
> 
> "_My_ fault? Let me tell you, 'sis'..." 
> 
> A loud meow interrupted their argument. Raich swung around, bringing all of his weapons systems to bear on the small, furred shape sitting in the middle of the road. 
> 
> "It's that damn cat again. Just you wait--" 
> 
> Morgall forcefully yanked her brother out of the way before he had the chance to fire, pulled open his canopy, and smacked him across the face with one powered fist. There was a brief crunch of bone. 
> 
> "You shut up and settle down, you trigger-happy little--" 
> 
> A flicker of light caught her eye; she turned to find the cat's outline slowly beginning to shimmer. Seconds later, Loki stood before them, face fixed in one of his characteristics scowl. The demons stared at him, equal parts flushed and angry. 
> 
> "If only I'd aimed a little better the first time..." Raich sighed. 
> 
> "I see you managed to fail miserably, despite your much-vaunted powers." 
> 
> "Because _you_ didn't give us correct information, Loki." Morgall hissed. "We weren't anticipating the...boy. If you'd told us--!" 
> 
> "One little boy against two fully-grown demons? Please." 
> 
> If looks could kill, Morgall's carried a small atom bomb's worth of pure hatred. Raich watched her worriedly; the last thing he needed right now was for his sister to lose her temper and try to take on a full-fledged God in combat. 
> 
> "It was his plan, anyway. It was bound to fail." he said in a soothing tone, trying to defuse his sister before she exploded altogether. 
> 
> "On the other hand--" Loki began. 
> 
> "_SHUT UP_! We were doing fine before you were _stupid_ enough to give him a weapon _and_ let him shoot you in the _foot_! None of this would have happened if you'd done your job and shot the little bastard when you had the chance instead eating those damn _Cheez-its_!" 
> 
> "If you would--" Loki tried to interject. 
> 
> "It's not my fault you were too busy fawning over our captive to help me track that little vomit stain down..._sis_." Raich snarled, his own patience at an end. 
> 
> "FAWNING?" 
> 
> "YES! _FAWNING_!" 
> 
> "Could you just--" 
> 
> "SHUT UP!" both demons shouted in unison. 
> 
> Loki rolled his eyes, then snapped two fingers. Particles of light scattered, formed into tangible cords, and wrapped around the bickering demons, forcibly yanking them around to face him. 
> 
> "I'm at heart a kind and forgiving person...as such, I will give you two a second chance to prove yourselves. As it happens, I've noticed some interesting...subtleties in the interactions between our two troublemakers -- ones which we could use to lay another trap." He paused for emphasis. "Provided you two don't screw it up again." 
> 
> "Don't worry." Morgall growled. "That little bastard isn't going to get by us a second time." 
> 
> "Good. Now, here's the plan..." 
> 
> ***** END OF PART 1 ***** 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: Here we go again...another cliff-hanger, just to get you all prepped up for the next part of 'An Innocent Wish.' Kudos to Feir for agreeing to write this interlude with me! I still have no idea how long it's going to be but it hopefully won't be longer than 3 parts. We'll just have to see.--02/06/99 
> 
> *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au



	9. An Innocent Wish Part 2: Showdown In DIS...

An Innocent Wish Part 2: Showdown in Dis 1383

> ****
> 
> Chapter 4.R: "An Innocent Wish"   
An AMG Fan Fic, an official "Ai Shiteru" Side Story, and a Ranma 1/2 x-over 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu and Feir. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) This story and the characters of This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, Nao, and those of the 'Green Leaves Tea Shop' series belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters of Morgall and Raich are concepts by Feir. The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. 
> 
> The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of Ed Sharpe. The characters true to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the distribution companies (whoever they are). If you haven't read chapter 1 or part 1, please read it! 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> It had been raining for three hours now; drumming against the rooftop of the small teahouse with rhythmic frequency. The effect was lulling; the kind of atmosphere you could easily drift off to sleep to, if you weren't careful. 
> 
> *At the rate things are going today, I could probably afford to take a kip.* Sean Ishikawa shrugged to himself, dipping the head of his mop into the soapy water and slowly cleaning over the scuffed tiles in measured strokes. The Green Leaves Teashop had seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, but today, business was slow -- with the sole exception of the couple at the back table, the teahouse was deserted. 
> 
> Strange, that. They'd been sitting there for three hours now, drinking tea -- and yet, for the life of him, he couldn't remember anyone ever coming in. Or ordering anything, for that matter. But yet, the man had been nursing the same cup for the best part of an hour. Or at least, it looked like the same cup-- 
> 
> *Either my memory's starting to go, or I should get my head examined,* Sean sighed, sneaking another glance at the pair. They certainly weren't Japanese, that much was sure. From the extraordinarily pale skin color to the dark, sleek hair; everything about the two seemed out of place. Even the cut of their -- admittedly drab -- businessclothes was something no local salaryman would be seen dead in. Too, their holding was much too stiff; overbearing even, watching the crowds passing outside with cold indifference. 
> 
> Noticing Sean's persistent stare, the woman turned to face him. 
> 
> "What do you want?" she demanded gruffly. 
> 
> "I, uh...can I get you anything?" Sean managed to stutter, completely caught by surprise. 
> 
> "I already have what I want." With that, she turned back and began to stir some sugar into a cup of black tea that Sean could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago. 
> 
> "Right..." he grimaced, feeling suddenly very stupid. "Maybe something to eat? You've been here a while, after all--" 
> 
> "We're covered." the man answered, waving some flaking pastry at him. "But I'm sure you've got more important things to do elsewhere. Right?" 
> 
> "Only I don't think I--" 
> 
> "Perhaps my brother wasn't being clear enough, little man." the woman said, snapping out of her seat and drawing up to an impressive height. In the space of two breaths, she was already in his face, brilliant red eyes boring deeply into his. "Leave." 
> 
> Sean forced another smile, nodded, and very quickly backed away -- only when he reached the safety of the kitchen did he allow himself to sink gratefully to the floor. 
> 
> "You can't tell me that little bit of mopping is too much for you, Sean." his mother chided in clipped British tones as she sorted out packets of powdered leaves. 
> 
> "It's those customers, mum." Sean sighed, slowly picking himself off the floor. "They give me the creeps, I swear. Three hours, and I don't remember ever taking a single order." 
> 
> Phyllis Ishikawa looked up and smiled semi-condescendingly. 
> 
> "What customers are you talking about, dear?" 
> 
> Sean flashed his mother a quizzical look. 
> 
> "What do you mean, 'what customers'? They've been sitting here the whole time. Right by the--" 
> 
> But the table was empty. 
> 
> "You will now die. Make whatever rituals are necessary for your species."   
-- Traditional Ur-Quan call to battle. 
> 
> **PART 2: SHOWDOWN IN DIS 1383**
> 
> Having gone through it three times, Kenji's stomach had become adjusted to the high tension that was usually needed for a transport between the immortal and mortal realms. However, he still felt a little uneasy afterwards. He found himself in Shinjuku, a popular shopping area--the "in" place for teenagers. He instantly became conscious of what he was wearing at the moment. An old T-shirt and long baggy khaki pants. Not bad, but still a little outdated and not quite right for the 'scene' right now. A few girls were laughing and pointing at him and his clothes. His face burnt with embarassment. 
> 
> *OK...I've got to get a change of clothes, pronto* he thought. He wasn't about to be made fun of by other teenagers his own age. As he walked into a department store (where he was instantly greeted by women especially hired to smile and say 'Welcome to the xxx humble department store. We humbly thank you for choosing our humble...') he browsed through a couple of stores before deciding on something to buy. He still had his wallet with him, so buying these clothes were not a problem. 
> 
> Then, as he passed the women's section (which was naturally on the way to the men's section), he spotted an outfit that would have looked great on Skuld. Next to it, however, was an outfit that would look absolutely fabulous on Rhiana. Shaking his head, he wondered at his indecision about these two girls. He had somehow gotten closer to Rhiana these past few days...but he still had feelings for Skuld. 
> 
> He remembered the scene earlier that day, where Rhiana was still asleep but looked...well, like an angel. *A goddess. She's a goddess* he reminded himself. He had felt something back there, something he probably shouldn't have felt. Not to someone he just met. It felt kind of wrong, somehow, and that was why he was troubled so much. 
> 
> Then again, the other source of his torment: the sweet innocent Skuld. His cousin Keiichi's girlfriend's youngest sister. She was a smart girl, and really beautiful. And she's not even a goddess like Rhiana is. She had ways to relate to him that they were inseparable. Best friends, you know? And even more. When they kissed, there was a spark that made his body tingle with excitement. 
> 
> It was all sooo confusing it made his head hurt. *Now I know how Skuld feels about me and that other guy...chow yow, was it? Well...something like that...* he thought miserably as he stared at these two dresses. A few salesgirls looked at him in a strange way and whispered among each other, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts as he looked back and forth between those two dresses that he didn't even notice. In the end, he bought those two dresses (to the surprise of the present women) and left for the men's area once more. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Somewhere in a small, cramped space, two demons sat arguing. 
> 
> "You don't suppose you could have made our transportation any _more_ conspicuous?" Raich sighed, shaking his head softly. 
> 
> Hunched over a scarlet-illuminated console, Morgall frowned. 
> 
> "Stop complaining, brother. We have a reputation to uphold, you know." 
> 
> "I know, I know. But--" He prodded at one bulkhead with the tip of his elbow. "--a little more leg room wouldn't have been a bad idea." 
> 
> "We used up all of our energy summoning this thing." Morgall answered bluntly. "If you want more leg room, get out and _walk_." 
> 
> Underfoot, Japan trembled. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Kenji looked through the racks of shirts with mild interest, trying to pick out something that would suit him. But he couldn't focus. With the package containing his other purchases wedged firmly under his arm, his mind kept straying back to Rhiana -- and Skuld. What was he going to do? He knew he liked them both, but at some point, he had to make a decision. Trouble was, he had a distinct feeling that that decision had already been made for him -- Skuld seemed to be perfectly with Chow-whatever, and Rhi...well, Rhi was a little...uh, different. At least, as far as he could tell. He wasn't about to go all-out and ask her up-front if she-- 
> 
> The sudden tremble caught him by surprise, nearly knocking him off his feet. Even before the panicked shrieking started, he already knew the drill: earthquake. Suddenly enveloped by a frightened horde, he struggled to remember his school's earthquake drill. 
> 
> *Do I get out of the building quickly...or hide underneath something? No, wait...* 
> 
> Something metallic crunching outside made him almost jump out of his skin. Already, sirens were sounding -- but they didn't sound like the usual natural disaster announcements the government used. Come to think of it, they sounded more like something out of an old Gojira movie-- 
> 
> *Oh god, no.* 
> 
> He barely had time to jump out of the way as a gigantic metal fist punched through the solid concrete with contemptuous ease, snatched into thin air, then pulled back again. Through the opening, Kenji could see metal, and lots of it -- several thousand tons of military hardware, squatting down in front of the battered shopping mall like a child playing with her dollhouse. 
> 
> *What the hell is this? Mobile Suit Gundam?* Kenji thought, trying to stop himself from hyperventilating as he flattened into a corner. The mecha's hand reached in for another try, meter-long fingers carelessly flicking aside shop displays and breaking store windows in search of their prey. Again, they narrowly avoided him by meters; again they pulled back-- 
> 
> Kenji became suddenly aware, with a sinking feeling, that the support pillars were starting to quake. Looking up, he barely had time to flinch before the entire roof was torn off, exposing him and the entire floor to the huge mobile suit's scrutiny. He started to break for the escalator, but before anything else could happen, two gigantic fingers picked him up in tweezer-fashion, nearly crushing his rib-cage in the process. 
> 
> He felt the contents of stomach threatening to leave altogether as the ground sank away, replaced by a frighteningly long fall onto solid concrete. Crushed cars were piled in impromptu scrapyards around the rising mech, coupled with the odd commuter train and uprooted subway, Kenji got the impression that the entire transportation network had been wrecked...for his sake. 
> 
> *I suppose I should feel special.* 
> 
> Finally, his ascent slowed. Suspended meters from the impassive metal face of the mecha, he hung; thoroughly screwed. As he watched, a small hatch popped open in the mobile suit's head, revealing the smugly grinning form of Raich the Gillain. 
> 
> Raich promptly raised a megaphone to his mouth and began to speak. 
> 
> "Well, Morisato Kenji -- it looks like the end of the line for you!" He attempted a booming laugh, causing the megaphone to let out a long, piercing squeal of feed-back. The demon winced, glaring at Kenji accusatorily, the continued. " At any rate, as you will have realised by now, escape is futile. There's enough power in these servo-motors to crush you like the insignificant insect you are -- and then some. Take it from me when I say that your chances of survival, if you piss my sister off again, are less than nil." 
> 
> "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Kenji roared into the wind. "Mobile suits!" He shook his head in quiet desperation. "Talk about cliched..." 
> 
> "What's wrong with mobile suits?" Raich called back. "We have you, don't we?" 
> 
> "Yes, but that's not the point! The point is, as demons, you shouldn't be summoning up huge city-crushing death machines! You should be summoning up...things...with tentacles and, and laser eyes...and-- well, supernatural kind of stuff! Not this Patlabor reject here!" 
> 
> "We happen to be very sophisticated demons," Raich sniffed, but the hurt in his voice was unmistakable. "You move with the times." 
> 
> "But still--" 
> 
> "Don't you ever shut up?" Morgall growled as she emerged alongside her brother, drawing a stun gun without ceremony. Her face, as always, had the barely disguised look of contempt; as if regarding a particularly large cockroach that had suddenly crawled out a kitchen drain. "If you weren't worth so much alive..." 
> 
> Kenji opened his mouth to reply, but the female demon had already aimed and fired before he could react. Struggling with suddenly heavy limbs, Kenji pulled against the iron grip of the fist. But it was no good. The last thing he felt as he blacked out was the familiar tingle of teleportation-- 
> 
> --destination unknown. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> *Sigh* Another boring meeting. Don't they ever have something interesting to report for once? Geez...Rhiana thought as she propped her head up with her hands while she listened to the weekly report made by some god she couldn't put a name to. Well, at least it's nearly my turn to say what happened during our little assault. 
> 
> "Rhiana, you may now rise and address the council. What news do you bring us?" a thundering voice who could only belong to the Kami said. 
> 
> "I was assigned to a certain Morisato Kenji the other day and something strange happened. I was given an assignment--which turned out to be a setup for my capture. I was not to be harmed, as if they wanted me for some greater purpose. This, I think is an inside job. As you can see, since I'm standing here addressing to you all, I have survived this encounter and brought him back safely. But it was a close one, something that I would have trouble getting out of if not for the help of the mortal himself. 
> 
> Gillains, as you all well know, are mercenary demons. They don't usually work with personal motivations, they usually receive orders by a higher command. I believe this is the case. I don't know who did this and for what purpose, but I am inclined to believe that the perpetrator which caused this incident in the first place is on _our_ side," Rhiana said. To this, the council seemed to break out into whispers among each other. Rhiana had to pause and wait for them to quiet down before she continued with her monologue. 
> 
> "I know the person is on _our_ side because no one could get access, much less _read_ the information on the system, without someone on our side! What I propose to create here, is an investigative team, to investigate who is behind all this, and what reasons they have of doing all this. Demons and gods do not work together on those terms for any reason other than power and control. I am certain that if we do not prevent this soon enough, it may lead to another war. A war that would undoubtedly cause turmoil in the mortal worlds, probably causing worse casualties than the last. I would like to prevent such a thing from occuring by acting early enough. What will you all say?" she asked. 
> 
> It was unanimous, all for her investigation team. The council then discussed who would be on it, and one of the members of that team would be her, since she was the one who came up with it in the first place and she was the only one who could identify the Gillains properly. There were some from the security sections--for fear of near-future attacks, but most of the gods and goddesses were those who had dealt with corruption or 'inside jobs' before. By the end of the meeting, she was exhausted. When she plopped down on her office chair, she closed her eyes and sighed loudly. Then she opened them to look for Kenji. But the office was quiet. There was only her there. Her eyes widened in alarm. Where did he go? 
> 
> "Jargon!" she commanded before the humanoid appeared. 
> 
> "Yes, mistress Rhiana?" 
> 
> "Where's Kenji?" 
> 
> "Er...he's gone back to the mortal realm, mistress...didn't you allow him to do so?" 
> 
> "Damnit, Jargon, he could be in danger!" Rhiana shouted before she ran to the direction of the portal, and then disappeared, leaving Jargon blinking. He sighed, shrugged, and then disappeared. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> It had style; Kenji had to say that much for it. A nasty, disturbing, thoroughly inhuman style, but style nonetheless. 
> 
> It took him roughly three seconds to determine that he was tied up; three more to find out that he had also been staked to the floor, and a full ten minutes to recover from the shock when he had first seen his surroundings. 
> 
> In the midst of an ocean of foul-smelling oil, seeded with the carcasses of long-dead sea monsters and leering iron gargoyles, the Gillains' tower bobbed; midnight-blue mosaics twisted into airy, impossible organic shapes that writhed to the sky. More disturbingly, this living marble constantly moved within itself, forming protrusions that, with a little bit of imagination, could be made out as faces; leering and taunting within inhuman abandon. But that was not the worst part of it. That was the writhing itself -- combined with the constant rocking motion of the building, it was enough to make Kenji heartily seasick. 
> 
> His first act of consciousness was to nearly empty his stomach; only to choke back when he caught the female Gillain, Morgall, staring at him pointedly. They were circling him warily; like sharks around a shipwreck survivor clinging on to debris, thin smiles rich with murderous intent. 
> 
> "So...our guest is finally awake." Morgall began, by way of greeting. Both demons had abandoned their ash-grey formal wear in favor of flowing black robes highlighted in electric blue so bright it stung the eyes to look at it; and both in one hand held heavy and wicked-looking blades -- the type made less for combat, and more for show, but not one bit less threatening because of it. 
> 
> "Eight hours," Raich said, sharply. "I told you that stun blast was at least a few degrees too powerful." 
> 
> "You obsess too much on the small details, brother." the female Gillain replied, idly tossing her heavy sword from one hand to the other. The blade arced back and forth, catching the distant lightning-fires of the pocket dimension's overcast sky. "This is home to us," she said to Kenji, resuming her orbit around him. "Shaping it to our specifications took a great deal of time and effort, but one should feel comfortable in one's own pocket dimension." 
> 
> "We're a little short on amenities, however." Raich said. "You should, however, note that we have taken great and personal care in securing you." 
> 
> "Those chains are pure mithril, Morisato -- imbibed with magic no ordinary weapon can break through. No amount of straining and pulling is going to get you out of them, so I suggest you conserve your energy for now." 
> 
> "What's going to happen to me?" Kenji interjected. 
> 
> Crossing around, Morgall's face lit up in a look which chilled Kenji through and through. 
> 
> "That's not up to us, Morisato." she sighed languidly. "That would be entirely up to your little friend..." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> She had searched everywhere. His house, his cousin's house, his said usual hangouts...to no avail. He just simply wasn't there. As if he disappeared from the face of the Earth. Gritting her teeth, she teleported back to the office to give Jargon a scolding for letting Kenji go. But a beeping from her computer, alerting her to a special e-mail message, caught her attention. Frowning, she went to her console desk and called the message up on the screen. 
> 
> -------- 
> 
> To: rhiana@divine.kami.wishgrant.org   
From: xxxxdsf^$282   
Sender error. Query returned unanswered. 
> 
> Subj: Morisato Kenji 
> 
> Hello, Rhiana. 
> 
> I suppose you've discovered by now that your little mortal friend has gone missing. For your own sake, I'd recommend you don't waste any more time looking for him, though. You won't find him. 
> 
> As it happens, he's currently our guest, here in our little humble pocket dimension. It's listed in the records as 'Dis 1383', if that's any help to you. 
> 
> You have exactly twelve hours to show up at our doorstep. Otherwise, I begin to systematically take apart the boy, one limb at a time, over several hours. I've had several centuries to refine my art, so you can rest assured that this process will be an incredibly agonising one. 
> 
> The choice, as they say, is yours. 
> 
> Morgall of the Gillains 
> 
> --------------------------------- 
> 
> PS: I have to admit, I've been a little disappointed. I was expecting a little more out of one of the much-vaunted Valkyries, but our last confrontation was nothing short of pathetic. Good opponents are so hard to find these days. 
> 
> -------- 
> 
> She read the e-mail a few times over and soon, her anger boiled over, making her face look...not quite as pleasant. Should she ask the team for help? After all, she would have to go into their pocket dimension alone. But then again, if she got help, she would probably never even get into the pocket dimension...to save Kenji. 
> 
> She sighed. Then an idea came up. *Wait a minute. What about the security daemons? Maybe _they've_ got some tools and weapons I could use* she thought. She smiled and then headed down to the security daemon section of Heaven. It wasn't that far away. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Sitting on a floor that refused to stay still, firmly tied and staked down, Kenji felt angry at a lot of things. Angry at the heavy chains keeping him from moving; angry at being captured like this, angry at the demon twins and their stomach-churning taste in interior design; and above all, angry at himself for being this stupid. As much as he hated to admit it, there'd been a reason for Rhi's overbearing attitude after all; and because he'd been stupid and gone back to the mortal realm, he'd landed them both in a whole world of trouble. Himself, there was no doubt about, but he knew almost instinctively that she'd come and try to rescue him. 
> 
> At which point, the twins would kill her. 
> 
> The way the demons were posturing around, there was no doubt they weren't expecting much of a fight, either. Kenji, despite his best wishes, knew that this would be the case, too: whatever fighting ability Rhiana had would be next to useless against the Gillains' manifesting ability. But maybe, just maybe... 
> 
> "Don't get your hopes up, Morisato." Raich said, as if responding to his unheard words. "Your Valkyrie friend doesn't stand a chance against the two of us." 
> 
> "What do you want from us?" Kenji demanded, managing to meet Morgall's unsmiling face without flinching. 
> 
> "You know what they say about the people you know?" The male demon shrugged expansively, walking over to Kenji at a conversational pace. "Well, believe it or not, we have nothing against you personally." 
> 
> "Aside from the fact that you are an irritating, insignificant little insect who doesn't know when to shut his trap." Morgall added. "Killing you will be a pleasure." 
> 
> "Hey, wait--" 
> 
> "But that fact aside," Raich continued, "it's only business. We--" he threw a look over at his sister, and corrected himself. "--I couldn't care less about what happens to you. The only thing that matters to us is that, in the right hands, you're worth a lot to us." 
> 
> "And whose hands would those be?" 
> 
> Morgall was at him almost immediately. 
> 
> "Just how stupid do you think we are, Morisato?" she spat, lifting him up by the weight of his chains and shaking him violently. 
> 
> "Well," Kenji managed with a smug grin. "It's obvious that you didn't get this far by your wits alone." 
> 
> Roughly the second his face made intimate contact with the stone floor, he knew he'd chosen the wrong thing to say. Propelled by every inch of muscle the Gillain possessed, Kenji's head cracked hard against the mosaic arrangements, breaking his nose in a muted crunch of cartilage. Before he could even moan out in protest, he was flung back again, discarded like a toy that had exhausted its entertainment possibilities. 
> 
> Lying in a spreading of pool of his own blood, Kenji could only nod dumbly as Morgall spoke again. 
> 
> "Let's get one thing straight, Morisato: you will die. That is guaranteed certainty. _How_ you will die, on the other hand, is still up in the air." She kneeled down next to him, until his face was only inches away from hers, and went on. "There are ways to prolong the process of death over a period of several weeks -- months even...pain as pressing and terrible as you couldn't even imagine in your worst little insect nightmares. I know them, Morisato. All of them, and more besides." Contemptuously, she drew herself back up to full height. "If I were you, I'd think very carefully about what I say and do over the next couple of hours. One word could make all the difference." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Chia-Yao's not in. He's on assignment, apparently...but we don't know what. What can we do for you anyway, Rhiana?" the young god behind the counter at the information desk asked. 
> 
> "Well...Ever since my attack and stuff, I've been wanting to get some weapons just for self defense, you know? D'you think you can help me get some?" she asked, playing innocent. 
> 
> "Oh sure. I understand how you feel. You made a great speech earlier on...I just wish I was on the team myself, but I'm not as qualified yet. But I'll do anything to help, I promise. Come with me and let's see what we can get you..." he said as he walked to a room filled with a lot of odd devices. Most of them were recognizably swords and guns of some sort, but there were others that were seemed strangely out of place. 
> 
> As the young god in front of her pointed out for her some of his personal favorites, she suddenly saw a striking sword. The grip was slender, as if meant for a woman's use, and the scabbard suggested that the blade was akin to a fencing one, except that it was slightly curved like a samurai sword. The young god, seeing her interest in that one, said that it was a magic sword, but no one really knew how to use it or what would cause the magic in it. When she touched it and took the sword out from its highly decorated scabbard, she saw a crystal blade, instead of the metallic alloy that was common to other swords. She knew she had to have this one. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "I just hope I'm not too late..." she murmured to herself as she stormed into her office, Jargon following her around and mumbling his endless apologies. She brushed him away, giving him her ever-famous 'Get out of my way' stare while calling up a portal to her home. 
> 
> *She has the sword strapped to her back so this probably isn't a good time to try and apologize to her* he thought. To think of it, Rhiana didn't even speak to him nicely after he once spilled coffee on her monitor a few decades ago. Women. Hmph! He would never understand them! He sighed in a rather human-like way and vanished, hoping that she would be able to forgive him in a couple of centuries. 
> 
> Rhiana knew she needed to go back to her pocket dimension to bring a few surprises for her 'hosts' when they 'rumbled.' *Hm...what else do I have in here that would help me? Hm...oh, the assault rifle. I'd better bring this. Well...I'd better look over some more incantations in case they throw me a few nuts...Eh? Isn't this...?* she thought as her eyes caught the shapings of an object, nearly forgotten in the corner. Inwardly, she smiled. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> As he watched the blood leak from his nose, Kenji privately wondered if it was, in fact, possible to die from a nosebleed. Part of him suspected that if this was the case, he would have been dead already. The blood loss was already making him feel lightheaded and dizzy, and the fact that he couldn't do anything to staunch the flow didn't help matters either. He just hoped Rhiana would get here soon. 
> 
> Raich and Morgall had long since stopped their little circling game, and now were waiting with all the anticipation of a hardened fighter; tensed muscles, weapons at ready. The robes were a little more abbreviated now -- presumably to prevent them from hampering the demons in combat; but otherwise, the shift from 'idle' to 'ready' had been almost unnoticeable. 
> 
> "She should be arriving soon." Morgall announced. 
> 
> Raich, shifting weight from one foot to the other, only nodded. All bluster and tack had gone; replaced by pure professionalism which somehow seemed much more genuinely frightening. 
> 
> Quietly, the minutes ticked by in tense succession until at last a tiny point of light appeared in the middle of the tower; first little larger than a golfball; then rapidly ballooning out into all directions. Framed in dark-on-light against the dazzling backdrop of the portal, Rhiana the Valkyrie emerged. 
> 
> "Hello, Rhiana." Morgall said, regarding her opponent with guarded amusement. "How nice of you to drop in." 
> 
> "Let the boy go." she replied flatly. Something in her eyes that Kenji saw made him shiver and recoil; the vibrant, exasperated look that he'd grown to know had been replaced by something else, something more primordial and fierce. The twins, too, noticed it; Raich raising a respectful eyebrow in acknowledgement. 
> 
> "The Valkyrie is serious," he remarked, bringing up the weight of his own blade into a combat-ready position. 
> 
> Rhiana's lip twitched, but she remained quiet; instead reaching for the hilt of her sword. The blade slowly emerging from its scabbard was pure crystal; not the crude metal of the demons' weapons, but something entirely different. The energy radiating off every edge seemed to spark at least some response in the twins; if not fear, then perhaps a silent, quick reappraisal of the situation. 
> 
> "Balder's Blade of Reckoning." Morgall whispered, sounding almost impressed with the words. "Such a fine weapon truly doesn't suit you, Rhiana." 
> 
> "Then perhaps it will suit you..when I have driven it through your lifeless body." 
> 
> Almost as if by mutual consent, the three combatants leapt at one another, weapons raised. Three swords crashed together; two withdrew, and Rhiana leapt back towards one end of the room, keeping the Blade of Reckoning pressed closed to her. 
> 
> But neither demon seemed to be in any particular hurry to rush her. From his vantage point, Kenji could see them mumbling something; some kind of formula that took hold even as the words left their mouths. In a shower of sparks, the twins lifted off, floating in mid-air in defiance of every rule of gravity. Rhiana, seeing this, began her own incantation, leaping up to join the twins in the spiralling heights of the tower. 
> 
> The demons had been anticipating this manuever, however. Even as Rhiana shot up, both dove down to meet her, blades at ready. Rhiana only had a split-second to leap out of harms' way as the Gillains bore down; and even then barely avoided being cut up on the spot. But instead of continuing her ascent, she reversed directions; back down towards the ground -- and the open arches leading out onto the sea of oil. 
> 
> This move bought her a few seconds of time: Raich and Morgall, who had been expecting the opposite, lunged into thin air even as Rhiana darted towards the open air. Undeterred, the demons quickly changed tack and followed her. 
> 
> On the ground, Kenji considered trying to cheer Rhiana on -- that being about the only thing he could do at the moment. But in this situation, even one little distraction could spell the end. The best thing he could do, he realised, was to just stay quiet and hope, hope with all of his heart that Rhiana didn't get killed now. 
> 
> They hovered over the black-slickened skeleton of some kind of monstrous, hellish whale; Rhiana a little lower; the demons almost on top of her. They were biding their time; conserving their energies for economical, precise attacks calculated for the maximum damage, but the simultaneous strain of keeping up the flight spell and fighting left its toll on all combatants. 
> 
> It was Raich who broke away first, diving down with surprising speed and grace. The fluid stroke came far too unexpectedly for Rhiana, who barely had time to raise her sword in defense. Pinwheeling to compensate, she caught Raich in the small of the back with a powerful kick; using the demon's momentum to send him flying out of control at high speed. 
> 
> Morgall promptly stepped in to take his place, but Rhiana now had the chance to focus on her one remaining opponent. Stroke was met with stroke as the two women clashed in fluid motion, hovering in a deadly fencer's ballet, but Rhiana slowly managed to gain the upper hand, driving harder and faster with her blade. Even as the demon's defence crumbled, she attempted to duck under and avoid the flurry of blows. Without hesitation, Rhiana sunk down and brought the full weight of two leather boots against the demon's skull. 
> 
> Morgall fell with little grace, teeth grit in anticipation for the landing. The resulting burst of viscera was too much for Kenji, who promptly lost what remained of his lunch over the gently lurching cobblestones. The female demon had been impaled on a long rib-bone on the floating skeleton, neatly pinning her down in a gory display of power. But the furious, painful thrashing made it clear that she wasn't going to stay down for long. Rhiana's advantage was only temporary at best; especially now that the other twin had finally regained control. 
> 
> Raich, with little flash and almost casual ease, materialised a pair of handguns; one for each hand, training them carefully on his opponent. Acknowledging the challenge with a nod, Rhiana kept her blade at combat-ready; both combatants slowly floating towards one another. 
> 
> Raich opened, coupling a deft lunge with a full-bodied salvo of fire. Bullets whizzed in a wide arc, banged against the honed edge of Rhiana's crystal sword, and shot off at random; scouring several monstrous sculptures. The male Gillain, frowning, brought up a slightly heavier weapon and started firing again: this time, not bullets but bolts of pure energy. Rhiana dodged with what almost seemed to be contemptuous ease, occasionally flicking her sword-arm out to parry a stray blast. The distance between the two was almost halved now, and getting closer all the time. 
> 
> On the ground, Kenji watched, biting his lower lip nervously. Rhiana was doing much better than he would have expected. Much, much better. As long as she could tackle the twins one at a time-- 
> 
> Avoiding another burst from Raich, Rhiana launched herself at the demon, sword outstretched. At the last minute, he summoned his own blade -- a virtual replica of Rhiana's, meeting it in mid-stroke with a shower of broken crystal. The two blades flashed and sparkled as they exchanged blow after blow, snapping through a quick succession of thrusts-parries at lightning speed. The two combatants were almost evenly matched; Raich having just a little more technical edge, Rhiana the advantage in brute force. But Raich's summoning had left him drained; his strokes were far less than the lightning-quick reflexes he usually displayed. Rhiana, too, noticed this, and pushed ahead as much as she could, slowly but surely backing the demon into the edifice of the tower. 
> 
> At last minute, Raich dropped height, ducking underneath the Valkyrie as she went in for the killing blow. His own sword snapped out even as Rhiana tried to pull back, cutting deeply into her skin. A long, red gash appeared where Raich had hit; almost reaching from one shoulder to the other, circling deep into Rhiana's sword arm. The effect was immediate: Rhiana recoiled, clutching at herself in involuntary shock. 
> 
> That was all the opening Raich needed. With a sudden burst of speed, he bodily slammed into the Valkyrie, forcing the full weight of his body into hers. Rhiana crashed against the wall arm first, desperately twisting to break the impact-- 
> 
> Kenji winced as he heard bone breaking. Without looking, he knew automatically that Rhi's sword arm was gone -- and with it, her last chance of survival. 
> 
> But Raich did not seemed to be celebrating at all. He had an almost dreamy look on his face; a puzzled little smile, looking at Rhiana's pained form inquiringly. Rhiana slowly nodded, her other arm tensing just a little further. The crystalline tip of her sword, visible for the first time, burst from Raich's ribcage with a vengeance, sending hot-glowing demon blood in a wide radius. The demon opened his mouth, as if to speak, but Rhiana had pulled out her sword already. Her good arm reached into the gaping wound-- 
> 
> *God, what is she doing? That's horrible!* 
> 
> --and withdrew again. Raich's heart glowed in her hands like pure malevolent energy; splashing out insane strobing patterns that distorted the very space around them. She hesitated only the briefest of moments -- then plunged the power-ball into herself, mouth slack, every muscle tensed in anticipation. 
> 
> A hint of a smile touched Rhiana's grim face, even as Morgall, all blood and entrails, pulled herself up and streaked towards her. 
> 
> "We're on equal terms now." she breathed, each word heavy with barely-restrained power. 
> 
> Morgall's lips contorted in a roar of pure animal savagery Already, before the Valkyrie had finished speaking, a volley of multi-colored energy bolts streaked towards her. Experimentally, Rhiana raised her fingers, face masked with determined concentration, ignoring the rapidly-closing projectiles. With one last burst of light, a delicate mirrored shield appeared on one wrist, deflecting the assault and forcing the female Gillain to evade her own attacks. 
> 
> Furious, she shot out a succession of sharp, whip-like tendrils which wrapped around Rhiana's wrist and broke the shield in two. Rhiana countered in turn, now in full control of her newfound powers, manifesting razor-sharp spikes which tore apart the demon's tendrils in a spray of green ichor. Morgall visibly jerked, recoiling with a pained expression on her face. But that weakness only lasted a moment -- then she raised her hands and began to pour out the full extent of her power. 
> 
> Protoplasmic force exploded in wild displays of color. 
> 
> Lights flashed. 
> 
> Dread demons from the nether worlds lashed out in tentacled menace before fading again. 
> 
> Giant fighting robots battled to the death with hovering battleships. 
> 
> For one brief, bizarre moment, a eighty-foot mushroom, jabbering in Swahili, attacked sentient, singing swarms of deodorant sticks. 
> 
> Finally, both combatants were out of power. Sweat poring out of every inch of skin on her body, Rhiana pulled away from the melee, trying to put as much distance between Morgall and herself as possible before renewing the battle. The female demon promptly followed; fists bared and at the ready. 
> 
> Expanding a little more of her precious energy, Rhiana manifested an assault rifle and began firing blindly at her opponent; aiming less for damage and more for a little breathing room. Morgall backpedalled furiously, the outlines of a new weapon already materialising in her hands. Before Rhiana had time to evade or even summon up a defence, a sharp swarm of needle-like projectiles drilled into her body, penetrating deep into the Valkyrie's flesh. Rhiana winced involuntarily; already on the counter-attack when the electric shock hit her with muscle-numbing force. 
> 
> Morgall rested the barrel of her weapon delicately on one hand, watching her opponent arc back, sparks shooting in all directions. Even as the first jolt had passed, the next one hit; again and again unloading the full force of many thousands of volts of electricity into her body. This time, it was too much -- her concentration broken, Rhiana tumbled groundwards, still thrashing as muscles spasmed and cramped all over. 
> 
> *Oh, no...* 
> 
> Kenji felt his heart suddenly stop. Rhiana slammed into the solid stone foundations of the tower at bone-shattering speed; a last, desperate look in her eyes before her head lolled forward into unconciousness. A moment later, Morgall elegantly landed next to her. 
> 
> "You see, boy?" she said hoarsely, looking up at Kenji. "You see what happens when you oppose us?" One hand reached down and rolled the prone Valkyrie over. 
> 
> Kenji couldn't reply; too focused on the oozing blood and flakes of burnt skin that covered the Valkyrie's body. Even if she had survived the fall, he wasn't sure she would have enough strength left to beat Morgall. The female Gillain herself was still wounded, but not badly enough to dimish that triumphant grin as she laid Rhiana out on the floor. Her fingers gently brushed across the deep gash in the left cheek; teasing the wound a little with one sharp nail. When no reaction came, she strayed across the prominent neckbone, up towards the throat, running one finger along the line of her jaw. The nails cut where they went, scoring thin red trails behind them. 
> 
> "It's a pity you're on the wrong side," Morgall mused as she brushed over the undamaged half of Rhiana's face, tracing the outlines of her features with almost idle curiosity. "Ah, well. Now all that's left is to take back what you stole from my brother--" 
> 
> -- without warning, Rhiana's head came up, slamming squarely against the demon's jaw. Morgall gave a yelp of surprise and fell backwards. 
> 
> "I think not." Rhiana growled. In a blur of motion, she snapped her foot across the still-dazed Gillain's face and slammed it into the ground. Morgall struggled to get back up, but the Valkyrie materialised a heavy sledgehammer -- *Shades of Skuld?* Kenji wondered -- and brought it down with skull-crushing force. The demon slumped forward, blood leaking from her lips, and did not stir. 
> 
> "Rhiana?" 
> 
> Rhiana crouched over the demon's body, breath ragged, clutching the hammer in her shaky hands. Her jaw was slack; as if just taking in the enormity of her actions for the first time. She looked at Kenji with something akin to helpless horror. 
> 
> "Rhiana? What are you waiting for?" 
> 
> Slowly, the Valkyrie managed to right herself, legs almost threatening to give way, never once taking her eyes from the demon. 
> 
> "She's just going regenerate! You need to take out her heart!" 
> 
> Rhiana softly shook her head, looking over to where Raich lay, chest gaping and empty; then back to the sprawled shape of Morgall; still at last. There was no sense of victory in her holding; only exhaustion and disgust. 
> 
> "No," she finally said. With the last of her energy, she enveloped the two of them in a portal before limply collapsing to her knees; beyond even the might of a Gillain heart to keep conscious. 
> 
> EPILOGUE 
> 
> Loki slowly rose from his throne, a thoughtful expression on his face as he dismissed his scrying-window with the wave of a hand. 
> 
> "Well, well. That was certainly unexpected." 
> 
> _indeed. and fortunate._
> 
> "Yes," Loki said, slowly walking over the engraved crystalline circuits decorating the far wall. "Very fortunate. For once, everything worked according to plan." He touched the forming words with a smile, eyes wandering over the mountainscape outside. The mist was already clearing; giving clear view of the jagged rocks below. Around, everything was broken and pointed like the teeth of some great predator's jaw, worn from years of use and abuse; a savage beauty that played to the baser parts of Loki's heart. Now, more than ever, that sight was something comforting. 
> 
> _i believe we have a visitor from the office approaching,_ the ice spelled out a moment later. _your agent._
> 
> "Then by all means, let him in." Loki replied evenly, pulling away from the vista. "There is much we need to discuss..." 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Raich..." 
> 
> Gingerly touching the sharp cracks in her skull, Morgall drew herself to her feet. It was a slow, painful procedure -- even with the accelerated healing of the Gillain heart, her vision still swam erratically, moving in and out of focus at a moment's notice. It took a long time for her to remember the procedure for the flight spell; even longer for her to actually execute it. Hovering bare inches over the floor, she made her way towards her brother's crash site; marked out heavily in red against the dark blue of the tower's stones. 
> 
> Morgall sadly cradled the pitiful form of the fallen Gillain in her arms. The hole in his chest, where Rhiana had torn out his power source, seemed even larger up close; loose strips of flesh hung raggedly around the wound, unable to heal without energy. 
> 
> Raich looked up with wide, sunken eyes, barely managing to gurgle a reply. 
> 
> "...only...flesh wound..." 
> 
> Then his eyes fluttered, and closed. Raich's head slowly lolled back; his breathing gradually faded away. 
> 
> Wordlessly, Morgall lowered her brother's body to the ground, then tore a thin slit in her robes, from neck to navel. Slowly letting her hands touch against the bare skin, then penetrate further, she pushed past flesh and bone and into the pulsing center of her heart. Tensing one hand, warm in the accumulated energies, she tore away at the glowing ball of power, pulling until roughly half came away in her hand. Already, she felt weaker; almost feverish, but she slowly withdrew her hand, flinching in the intense glare of the power source. The pain was only momentary; then she plunged the mass of energy into Raich's chest. Tenderly pulling out again, she traced the edges of the wound. 
> 
> Already, the skin was beginning to heal; new muscle cells and nerve fibers growing to replace those lost in the catastrophic sword-stroke. 
> 
> Slowly, still in pain, Raich stirred, managing to prop himself up again. He looked at his sister with moist eyes. 
> 
> "Morgall..." 
> 
> "It was a long shot." the female demon said flatly. "But I had to try." 
> 
> "Your powers--?" 
> 
> "I'm feeling...a little strange. Sick." Morgall ran one extended finger over her own forehead, collecting beaded sweat. "But I'll survive. We'll just have to be a little more careful in future." 
> 
> Raich nodded weakly. Perhaps it was for the better. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Rhiana and Kenji got past the portal, the bluish hue of the portal disappearing as they fell onto the hard ground of the office. Kenji landed first, and Rhiana on top of him, causing a low groan from below and a feminine hiss from above. They slowly got off each other and a silence ensued. 
> 
> "So...are you OK?" Rhiana asked Kenji wearily, who was still having a hard time trying to believe what Rhiana had done just a few moments ago. It was only up 'till now did he realize how dangerous powers of a goddess (or even a demi-goddess, in Rhiana's case) were. In response to her question, he nodded slowly as he looked at his companion. 
> 
> Rhiana was still bleeding rather profusely from the battle that had just transpired. She was still breathing heavily, her chest heaving as if trying to catch up on her breath. Beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead. She grimaced as she took a breath, as her horrifying wounds took their toll on her. 
> 
> As her concerned eyes bore into his and he found himself unable to look away from her, he realized how much she cared for him. Evidently enough so that she would be willing to risk her life for him. He felt a strange but strong pounding in his heart, and wondered what this could mean...for them both. And then, she spoke. 
> 
> "Kenji...Never do that again. I don't think I can stand another battle like that," she said, cracking a crooked smile as she tried to muster up some strength to stand up. 
> 
> "Tell me...why'd you do it?" 
> 
> He was mesmerized by that smile so it took him a while to say anything. 
> 
> "I...I couldn't help it. I was...so...confused..." 
> 
> "About what?" 
> 
> "...It's nothing." 
> 
> "Tell me." 
> 
> "I can't." 
> 
> "Why? I saved your butt, didn't I?" she snapped, starting to get angry. 
> 
> "...You really want to know?" 
> 
> "Yeah. I want to know why you nearly killed me by running off like that. I want to know NOW," she said in the comandeering tone of hers. Kenji gulped and looked away. 
> 
> "Well...the reason why I left was...'cause I was confused. A lot. A-About...us. I mean, I have a girlfriend and all...and she's great! Her name's Skuld, by the way..." he babbled. He was never good at these touchy-feely situations. 
> 
> Rhiana's eyes had widened when she heard his confession about his...feelings for her. Inside, she felt a twinge of happiness. But when she heard the name 'Skuld,' she finally realized who Kenji was, and was shocked beyond words. *Oh no, how could this be?* she thought. She closed her eyes shut and was lost in thought. It took a while for her to focus. 
> 
> "...Rhiana?" a masculine voice which belonged to Kenji startled her out of her reverie. 
> 
> "...Kenji..." she choked, turning her back to him. She could feel tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't let him see her like this. Not now. She couldn't let him find out how much turmoil she was feeling inside. Time. Time was what she needed. 
> 
> "...Rhiana?" Kenji asked, his eyes and tone of voice sounding hopeful. 
> 
> "I...I think it's best if we part ways...." 
> 
> Kenji felt his heart shatter. 
> 
> "...so we can think things over...I mean...you have a girlfriend..." 
> 
> "But!" he protested out loud. But deep inside, he knew that she was right. 
> 
> "I need to recover, to think things out. I...I feel confused as well, Kenji. Things like this aren't supposed to happen." 
> 
> "Things like this? Things like what?" he asked, trying to understand. 
> 
> "I...I can't explain..." she said, her back still turned from him. 
> 
> "Rhiana..." he said, turning her face with his hands so that he could face her. Rhiana forced herself, despite her many wounds, to scramble out of his grasp and ran out the door. 
> 
> *I'm sorry.* he heard her voice in his mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Jargon came in minutes later, quietly tending to his bruises and wounds. Jargon never said anything. It was obvious that he had heard their conversation. Kenji was too overwhelmed to say anything. 
> 
> Once he was patched up, Jargon was the one who waved him goodbye. The next thing he knew, he was back on his bed, in his pajamas, as if he was in a dream. His computer clock said that he was at the day he met Rhiana. He wondered if it actually happened. But as he glanced at his surroundings, he noticed the packages he had bought in that department store before the fight draped on his chair and now bore a faraway look of remembrance as he heard the birds chirp outside his room. 
> 
> "Kenji, come down and eat breakfast!" 
> 
> "Okay mom, I'll be right down!" 
> 
> *Maybe...I'll see her again* he thought. *She said so, didn't she?* 
> 
> It was something good to look forward to anyway. 
> 
> ***** END OF PART 2 ***** 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: It's done. Finally! Thanks to Feir for writing this. I hope we do more collaborations in the future. ^^ This IS the last part of Rhiana's Interlude. You'll have to read Chapters 6 and 7 to find out what happens next! Will you see more of the demonic twins and their leader in action? You can count on it! 
> 
> *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au



	10. The Truth About the Past by Brett Handy

Chapter 4.C: The Truth About the Past

> ****
> 
> "The Truth About the Past"   
An Oh My God? Story/Runoni Kenshin Cross-Over 
> 
> By: Brett Handy, based on the series by icezer230 (icezer230@yahoo.com, http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html) 
> 
> E-mail: [darkwnd@sv.net.au][1]
> 
> Webpage: [http://www.ozanime.com/][2]
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Chia-Yao didn't bother to look up as the door to his study opened, "What do you want this time?", he asked, he knew his brother meant well, but he wasn't in the mood for talking. 
> 
> Brett walked over and sat down in the chair opposite him, "You and Skuld had another fight huh?", he asked quietly. 
> 
> "Something like that", Chia-Yao said dismissively, "And I still don't want to talk about it", he continued staring out the window. The shifting colours of his pocket dimension were quite lovely, random and unpredictable. "Much like Skuld", he thought to himself. 
> 
> Brett snapped his fingers in front of Chia-Yao's nose. He blinked, "What?", he asked. 
> 
> "You didn't listen to a thing I just said, did you?", Brett asked. Chia-Yao shook himself out of his daze and concentrated on what Brett was trying to tell him. Brett nodded, "Ok", he said, "I'll go over it again.. Someone is playing with the timeline.. very subtly.. I almost didn't realise that things were changing". 
> 
> Tampering with the timeline was very serious, indeed the entire fabric of their universe could fall down around them. "Who's doing it?", Chia-Yao demanded, "I thought you were the only one who could travel in time?". 
> 
> Brett shook his head, "Not quite true", he admitted, "This time it's more serious however, because the way the changes are progressing.. it looks like Keiichi and Belldandy will never meet..". 
> 
> "WHAT?!?!?", Chia-Yao demanded, sitting bolt-upright in his chair. 
> 
> Brett sighed, "Which also means I'll probably never meet Urd.. and possibly never become the God of Destiny", he continued. 
> 
> "But.. But.. ", Chia-Yao's head was spinning, he'd never really paid much attention in his temporal mechanics classes, "Can't you do anything about it?". 
> 
> "I can", he admitted, "but it isn't going to be at all easy.. ". He stood up and walked over to the window, "The problem is that I wasn't alive back when this time-altering is going on, and quite simply I do not have enough power to send myself back as myself". This part Chia-Yao did understand, tampering with the past is something that required a huge amount of power - to go back in time and inhabit your own body was hard enough, but to go back when you needed to take your own body with you was about a billion times harder. 
> 
> "As I understand it", he went on, "I can send other people back, if they had some form of existence at that time..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao nodded in understanding, "And since I've been around since the beginning of recorded history.. ", he said. 
> 
> "Exactly", Brett agreed. 
> 
> The young god thought hard for a moment, "But you realise that I've only had this physical form for about the last 20 years.. before that, I was just.. whatever it is that gods are before they're born..", he said. 
> 
> "Your consciousness is there though", Brett said, "I'm almost positive this will work". 
> 
> "Almost positive?", Chia-Yao asked dubiously. 
> 
> Brett waved off the question, "Look", he said, "This will work.. and it won't even disturb history at all.. except for the changes you make..". 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao laid down carefully, the stone table wasn't at all comfortable. He shifted a little uneasily. Brett had explained to him that he would probably be gone for a few months at least, depending on how long it takes him to track down whoever it was tampering with the timeline. 
> 
> He didn't know a lot about the time he was being sent to, other than reading quickly through some Japanese history books in the intervening hours before the ceremony. He'd tried to talk to Skuld, but in the end he had to just leave a message and hope she got it. It felt wrong to just leave without saying goodbye, but Brett promised that as soon as he saw Skuld he'd explain it to her. 
> 
> Brett and Urd walked into the small chamber and Chia-Yao frowned at the Goddess, "What are you doing here?", he asked curiously. 
> 
> Urd smirked, "I am the Goddess of the Past", she reminded him, "And I'm the one who's going to make sure you get to the right place, person and time". 
> 
> Chia-Yao refrained from pointing out that Urd had a tendency for getting lost and took a deep breath, "Ok", he said, "I'm ready". 
> 
> Brett nodded and Chia-Yao could feel him beginning to pull in his power. Urd walked up to him and placed a hand on his forehead, "Remember", she said, "Until you summon us to call you back, you are Sir Charles Yarrow, youngest son of Lord Yarrow of England.. also remember you will not have access to any of your powers, only your memories will remain - you will be on your own". 
> 
> He nodded, "Let's get this over with", he said with a sharp nod. 
> 
> The power level in the room continued to rise, Chia-Yao reminded himself to congratulate his brother on his ability to summon this much energy. At that point Urd also began gathering power, raw energy crackled around the chamber. Urd and Brett began chanting, their voices working in unison. Urd's voice seemed to dance around Brett's heavier tones. Brett looked at Chia-Yao, "Good luck brother", he said with a nod. The room then dissolved into blue light. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Meiji Era Year 14 - 1883AD 
> 
> "Sir Charles! how good to meet you", a voice said. A young man in his early twenties turned from where he was staring out across the harbour. His clothing was more casual than the minister had expected for a young nobleman, in fact unlike the other stuffed shirts he'd met that morning, the young man didn't stand out in any way. 
> 
> Sir Charles nodded his head in greeting, "Minister Walters", he said in a quiet voice. 
> 
> "Please", the Minister said, "Call me George". He sat down behind his desk, "I'll admit that I'm surprised that you are here, I would have thought that the celebrations in Germany would have held you longer?". 
> 
> "Bismarck is such an old bore", Sir Charles replied, "You'd think that he'd be thrilled at an Alliance with Austria? but no, he continues his old talk of the 'Russian menace'". 
> 
> "It still must have been an honour to attend the signing ceremony", the Minister said with a wistful sigh. 
> 
> Sir Charles shrugged, "I suppose so", he said dismissively. 
> 
> "So what brings you to Japan?", he asked curiously, "And more specifically, my office?". 
> 
> "Well", Sir Charles said with a smile, "I was intrigued by the reports of Commodore Perry and more recently those of traders with these lands.. the culture intrigues me.. more specifically the warriors.. I believe they were called 'Samurai'?". 
> 
> Minister Walters nodded, "That's right", he said, "However the 'Samurai' as such don't official have any right to carry swords or..". 
> 
> Sir Charles waved off the explanation, "I know", he said with a shrug, "It's a pity actually.. I was looking forward to testing my steel against some real Samurai..". Minister Walters frowned, he'd heard about the young nobleman's fondness for duelling, but to come half-way around the world for a duel was unheard of. They talked for a few more minutes, obviously Sir Charles wanted to know if the Minister had heard of any renegade Samurai that might pose a challenge to him. The Minister of course denied knowing anything about any Samurai, and suggested that he might ask around some of the various martial arts schools over in Tokyo. 
> 
> He watched the young man walk from his office with a sinking feeling in his stomach, having an English nobleman killed in a duel wouldn't bide well for relations. He sighed, Sir Charles was free to do whatever he liked however and it wasn't the Minister of Trade's responsibility to keep an eye on him. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Sir Charles walked along through the busy streets of downtown Kyoto, he elicited some strange looks from the citizens, not so much because of his nationality, but because of the sword he wore openly at his hip. It was a fencing sabre and Charles knew well how to use it, in fact that had gotten him into a reasonable amount of trouble back in Europe. 
> 
> He'd trained with some of the best instructors and occasionally even duelled to first-blood with one or two ruffians. He'd received special permission through the government to wear the sword, it had taken quite a bit of convincing, but since he was suppose to be a foreign trader scouting out new opportunities (one that just happened to be from one of the better British families), they'd made an exception for him. 
> 
> Kyoto was probably the most modern city in Japan, mainly due to the influx of traders. It had advanced steadily since the borders were opened nearly fifty years ago by Commodore Perry. There was even a steam locomotive that connected Kyoto with the Japanese Capital Tokyo. He had booked tickets on it for tomorrow, looking forward to seeing the countryside. Feeling a little hungry, Sir Charles decided to stop at a small eating establishment. He managed to get across his order to the hostess (in rather broken Japanese) and settled down to relax. 
> 
> A rough hand suddenly shoved him from behind and he turn around to face the person responsible, a hot-retort on his lips. Unfortunately it wasn't a single individual who was standing there. Three rather imposing-looking Japanese men, they were dressed in only little more than rags, one of them shouted something at him. He didn't pick up too many of the words, but it wasn't hard to understand. The three ruffians were telling him to pay up or they would hurt him. Sir Charles sneered and went for his sword. 
> 
> Unfortunately the lead ruffian pulled a knife, menacingly and shouted something. In less than a heartbeat the other two had grabbed Charles' arms and dragged him out the back of the restaurant. The leader pulled out the sword and laughed, throwing it off down the alley. The other two suddenly released him as the leader lowered down into a crouch, the knife still held out in front of him. Charles realised with a sinking feeling that they meant to kill him. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Akahito laughed at the Gaijin, he hadn't put up much resistance at all and his sword was a joke. He and his gang had followed him around for most of the morning and only jumped him when it was safe. Gaijin had lots of money in Kyoto and it was possible this one had enough to feed him and his men for several months. "Come on!", he insisted. 
> 
> The foreigner moved forward a little and Akahito slashed at him with the knife, not close enough to cut, only to tease him a little. The man flinched back and Akahito laughed again. Suddenly the Gaijin fell to the ground, letting out a groan of pain. Akahito looked at his companions, "What did you guys do?", he asked in confusion. 
> 
> "Nothing boss", Azuma replied, "He just fell down". 
> 
> The Gaijin groaned and climbed up to his knees, "Man what a headache", he muttered in perfect (if a little accented) Japanese. 
> 
> Akahito gestured with the knife again, "Come on Gaijin", he insisted, "Let's see who gets your money!". 
> 
> The Gaijin looked up and Akahito noticed something different, gone was the fear that was there just moments ago. The man stood and gave him a contemptuous look, "I think not", he said, "I don't give money to scum like you". 
> 
> Azuma lashed out with a fist, intending to knock some sense into their target. Unfortunately the foreigner grabbed his arm in mid swing and threw him across the alley into the hard stone wall, there was the sound of breaking bones. Akahito thrust forward with the knife, only to have the stranger spin around and kick the knife from his hand, the man continued to spin and the neck moment Akahito found himself kicked across the alley, loosening more than a few of his teeth. 
> 
> He used the wall to pull him to a standing position, obviously the Gaijin knew some form of martial arts. This time he moved forward more carefully feinting with a few kicks. The Gaijin easily avoided any serious punches and a few heartbeats later Akahito was once again picking himself up off the ground. Azuma and Kenji had already fled and Akahito let out a string of curses as he too fled the alley, vowing revenge on the Gaijin who'd humiliated him. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao shook his head, those punks were pathetic. His new body was more than a little stiff after the fight though and he reminded himself to put in a little training to toughen it up. 
> 
> *What exactly are you getting at?*, Sir Charles asked, *And don't forget my sabre!*. 
> 
> "Exactly what I was thinking", Chia-Yao answered out loud, walking over and picking up the sword, "You need some more conditioning if we're going to be taking on the bad guys..". 
> 
> *Well just remember that's my body you're using>, Sir Charles replied, *I'd like to have it back in one piece if that's at all possible!*. Although it had only taken a moment of real-time, Chia-Yao and Charles had talked the topic of the use of Charles' body almost to death (if you'll pardon the expression). Sir Charles had no problem with letting his body be used in a noble and good cause, the only conditions he had were firstly that his body be returned to him in good condition (no missing arms, legs, fingers, eyes, etc) and that he be allowed to observe everything. The first condition was something that Chia-Yao had no problems with, after all he'd feel the pain if the body was hurt while he was using it, the second however was more of a problem - Sir Charles tended to be rather vocal with his commentary and questions. 
> 
> *I'm sure you would be too if you were suddenly possessed by someone claiming to be a god from the future*, Sir Charles observed. 
> 
> "I was just thinking", Chia-Yao replied, "Nothing personal". 
> 
> *Oh no offence taken my good man.. err.. god*, Sir Charles said, *I understand how difficult it is to control your own thoughts...* 
> 
> Chia-Yao straightened out his clothing and belted the sword back on before stepping out of the alley. He'd been to Kyoto a few times, but the Kyoto he knew was more than a hundred years in the future. He returned to the hotel that Sir Charles had been staying at, rather than risk another confrontation with thugs. Early the next morning he boarded a train for Tokyo. 
> 
> Brett had determined that the focal point of the change would occur there, a change leading to several rather big differences in their own time. Apparently the civil war which started the Meiji era had left a number of loose strings, several of which were plotting to overthrow the government. 
> 
> The principal person who could prevent this change was a man who went by the name Kenshin. However someone killed this Kenshin before he could intervene in the overthrow of the government. When the government fell, Japan returned to the way of the sword, once again cutting itself off from the outside world. Unfortunately this led to more than a few problems when a combine Korean/Chinese assault on Japan led to the annexing of the country in the early 1930's. This of course prevented the war in the pacific and allowed the war in Europe to end 2 years earlier. Now while this might be by some considered a good thing, it totally changed the balance of power in the more modern world. 
> 
> In the present that would exist if this was allowed to happen the USSR still existed and in fact it had expanded across all of Europe and North Africa. It controlled most of the world's oil supplies and the most votes in the United Nations. There were also the other, less earth-shattering events, like the fact that Keiichi's ancestors would be wiped out during the invasion. This would mean several different things, one of which was the possibility that Brett would never become the God of Destiny. Temporal paradoxes always gave Chia-Yao headaches, so he forced himself to stop thinking off all the possible problems and looked at the countryside going past. 
> 
> Japan was a more beautiful place in this time, no concrete and steel, just nature. They passed rice fields and other crops, before Tokyo appeared in the distance. The trip was quite nice and Chia-Yao found himself relaxing and almost dozing. The train halted with a jerk and he blinked himself awake, everyone was disembarking. He stood, shouldering his kit-bag and feeling it's light weight with approval. Sir Charles had travelled rather widely in Europe and knew to bring only the necessities. 
> 
> Tokyo looked more like a quaint village than the bustling metropolis that Chia-Yao knew. He walked along slowly, carefully looking at the buildings. *What are you looking for?*, Sir Charles asked. 
> 
> "A Dojo", Chia-Yao replied quietly (he just couldn't get used to that 'talking in the head thing'), "According to the information Brett gave me, he'll be there.. ". Chia-Yao cris- crossed Tokyo and it wasn't until very late in the afternoon that he located the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo. He tapped on the door gently and it swung open slowly, creaking ominously. Without making a sound Chia-Yao put his bag down and slowly slid the thin sabre out of it's sheath. He noticed a small tree nearby and quickly scaled it and in a few moments it was on top of the wall surrounding the Dojo. 
> 
> *Why not just use the door?*, Sir Charles asked sarcastically. 
> 
> Chia-Yao smiled and stealthy walked along the wall he jumped down, landing with an audible *thump*, Chia-Yao mentally cursed his new body. Sir Charles managed to 'bite his tongue' and not distract him. Chia-Yao moved quickly away from the wall, slipping into the sprawling Dojo. 
> 
> "NOW!", a loud voice shouted angrily, "Now I'm going too kill you Batousai! But first I think I'll have a little fun with your woman!". Moving quickly and quietly Chia-Yao moved through the Dojo until he was standing outside the main practice room. He carefully made a hole in the rice-paper wall and looked in. There was a young man with long red hair tied to one of the main support columns by some nasty-looking chains, the other had another young man tied to it, this one had short dark hair. Both of them were straining against the bonds. A young boy was laying on the floor, unconscious and in a pool of blood. 
> 
> In the middle of the room there was a huge man standing over a woman with long black hair who wore a tattered gi. She was also bound at the wrists and ankles. Standing at various points around the room there were four thugs and each held something that made Chia-Yao whistle in disbelief. Each was holding an MP5 submachine gun. The largest man was holding a largish automatic pistol. "Brett would freak if he could see this", he whispered to himself. 
> 
> Chia-Yao took a deep breath, five against one, when four of the five had automatic weapons, those were not good odds. He positioned himself and waited. There was a scream from the woman and he used that as his cue. He shoulder-charged his way into the Dojo, smashing easily through the paper wall, leading with his sabre. He caught one of the thugs around the throat and threw his sword at the one directly opposite him. There was a moment stunned silence from the thugs, only broken by the gurgling sound that the one with the sabre through his throat was making. Chia-Yao pulled the MP-5 from the hand of the thug he was sheltering behind just as the other three began firing. He moved backwards, using the man he had a hold of as a human- shield. 
> 
> Chia-Yao was actually surprised when he managed to get outside, for some reason the thugs were only using the single- shot settings on their guns. He jumped down from the veranda and carefully change the selector switch on the gun to full-auto. He made a run for a large rock that was sitting the courtyard, bullets whizzed by him and he dove for cover. 
> 
> Cautiously looking over the rock he saw two of the thugs advancing towards him. He held down the trigger and burned off half the clip, both of them dropped like stones. 
> 
> "Hold it!", the leader of the gang snarled, he was holding the dark-haired woman by the throat, the business-end of his pistol against the side of her head, "Drop it or she dies!". 
> 
> Using his thumb he flicked the selector back to single- shot and dropped the gun a few feet in front of him, Chia-Yao raised his hands, "Kill her and you won't get three steps", Chia- Yao promised. 
> 
> "I don't know who you are Gaijin", he snarled angrily, "But you'll pay for killing my men!". He began to move the gun. Everything seemed to slow down for Chia-Yao as he dove towards the gun he'd discarded. The thug took aim and at the same moment the dark haired woman elbowed him. 
> 
> The large pistol fired a split-second before Chia-Yao did. The gunshots were so close together that they sounded like a single shot. Chia-Yao felt himself flung back as the bullet grazed his shoulder, taking out a fair chunk of his skin. The thug clutched his head and fell back, blood pouring from a long gash on the side of his head. The woman kicked the gun from the thug's hand and then with three swift punches she reduced him to unconsciousness. 
> 
> Chia-Yao took a deep breath, clasping one hand on his shoulder to stop the bleeding. The woman immediately moved to help the young boy up to a sitting position and then went and unlocked the chains around the two men. At that point she fell into the red-haired man's arms, sobbing quietly. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> *That was a close call*, Sir Charles observed dryly as Chia- Yao held a bandage on his shoulder to stop the bleeding. It had just nicked the top of his shoulder on the way past. The police had arrived within a few minutes (gunfire tends to attract attention) and the red-haired man had explained what had happened. He watched as the police hauled away the thugs and the bodies. He shuddered slightly, this wasn't the first time he'd had to kill - but it still effected him when there were mortals involved. 
> 
> *So you can destroy Demons, but killing a human makes you squeamish?*, Sir Charles asked. 
> 
> "Yeah.. I guess that must seem strange", Chia-Yao agreed, "But Demons are different from humans.. we're taught that humans are neither good nor evil.. it's the choices they make that dictate their actions.. and anyone can choose to change.. when you kill a mortal.. you end their chance for choosing". 
> 
> *Those fellows made their choices*, Sir Charles argued, *It wasn't just you or them.. it was you and those hostages or them*. 
> 
> "I know", Chia-Yao sighed, standing up and testing his shoulder, it was painful, but no worse than other things he'd endured. He walked over to the police officers as he noticed them examining the guns. 
> 
> "They're very light", one officer commented, hefting an MP5. 
> 
> Chia-Yao frowned thoughtfully as he went over things, "Those weapons are the property of the german government", he said tapping on the butt of the gun, there was a small manufacturer's mark there which read 'Made in Germany'. He looked around at each of the officers, "I'm afraid you have a real incident on your hands here, the german government isn't going to be happy to find out that some of their more secret technology was stolen by Japanese thieves". 
> 
> The sergeant looked rather nervous, "Stolen?", he asked. 
> 
> "Well", Chia-Yao whispered, leaning closer, "I had heard that Bismarck was intended a state visit here next year, I doubt this is going to go over very well at all..". 
> 
> The four police officers were sweating a little and Chia-Yao sighed, "It's a pity you'll have to take those in for evidence.. and you couldn't just dump them in a furnace somewhere", he mused. 
> 
> The Sergeant's eyes lit up a little, "Yes.. it's a real *pity*", he said. He picked up the bag of 20th Century guns, "I'll take this *evidence* in myself", he said, nodding to his men. Chia-Yao noted that the sergeant headed in the direct opposite direction to the rest of his men. 
> 
> Chia-Yao walked back inside, "Thank you stranger", the dark- haired girl said with a weak smile, "I'm Kaoru Kamiya". 
> 
> Chia-Yao bowed slightly, "My name is Sir Charles Yarrow", he said, with a smile. A largish guy with short black hair and wearing a gi-top with the Kanji character for 'Bad' on it was helping the young boy who Chia-Yao had noted earlier. The young boy was in pretty bad shape. 
> 
> "I think You'd better get him to see a doctor", Chia-Yao said, stating the obvious. 
> 
> "A doctor will be here shortly", the red-haired man said with a nod, he bowed slightly, "My name is Kenshin". 
> 
> "Nice to meet you", Chia-Yao replied politely. 
> 
> A moment later a woman with long dark hair rushed into the room, she held in her hand a bag and she moved immediately to the young boy, spilling out various implements, bandages, ointments and the like. Chia-Yao frowned and the tall man shook his head, "She is a doctor", he said bluntly, as if daring Chia-Yao to doubt his word. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao found himself sitting watching Kenshin cooking dinner, the doctor had made the young boy (who's name was Yahiko) comfortable and then announced that she'd be staying until he was out of danger. At that point Miss Kaoru decided that Kenshin should start dinner and Chia-Yao was invited to eat with them. 
> 
> "You look like you know what you're doing", Chia-Yao observed, "Are you a chef?" 
> 
> Kenshin laughed, "Me? no - I'm just a dabbler!", he disagreed. 
> 
> "On a less pleasant topic.. do you often have men with guns attack you?", Chia-Yao asked casually. 
> 
> "Unfortunately.. yes", Kenshin sighed. 
> 
> "Because of your history?", Chia-Yao asked quietly. 
> 
> Kenshin's eyes narrowed, "What do you know of my history?", he asked, looking Chia-Yao up and down slowly. 
> 
> "I know of you role in establishing the new government and your reputation - were I interested in making the current government fall, I would either seek your support or seek to kill you", Chia-Yao said with a sigh, "It's the way of politics I'm afraid". 
> 
> "Are you a politician then?", Kenshin asked, turning back to the food he was cooking. 
> 
> "Nope, just an interested observer", Chia-Yao said with a sigh. They were both silent for a long while. 
> 
> "Isn't it finished *yet*?", Sanosuke grumbled as he walked over. 
> 
> "In a little while", Kenshin replied softly. Chia-Yao realised he was talking about something very different from the meal he was cooking. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> It was pitch black, the only light from a few pitiful stars in the overcast sky - even the moon was obscured. Chia-Yao sat quietly on the top of the wall overlooking the Dojo. *You really think he'll come this way?*, Sir Charles asked, almost yawning. 
> 
> "Of course", Chia-Yao said softly, "It's the only way out of the place without waking anyone, and it's the way I'd go - I doubt he'd want to get caught while sneaking out". 
> 
> Sure enough, a half hour later a figure with long red hair jumped onto the wall beside him, *You're gonna be wrong one day, and I just hope I'm there to see it*, Sir Charles grumbled. 
> 
> "What are you doing here?", Kenshin asked, keeping his voice low. 
> 
> "I'm going with you", Chia-Yao replied easily, "At least I am unless you want Miss Kaoru to know you're leaving". 
> 
> Kenshin grimaced, "Thank you, no.. I think I'd prefer to leave her sleeping", he said, "Why did you come here? why save us like you did?". 
> 
> "Someone got around to asking huh?", Chia-Yao chuckled, "Ok, well - to be honest I'm here to watch your back Kenshin, someone is trying to kill you". 
> 
> "Someone is *always* trying to kill me", Kenshin replied dryly, "Who has assigned you as my bodyguard?". 
> 
> "I've just gotta see you survive the next two months", Chia- Yao said, "After that you can go do whatever you like, but until then - I'm gonna be following you everywhere". 
> 
> Kenshin looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, "I don't suppose I could talk you out of this?", he asked in a despairing voice. 
> 
> "I'm afraid not", Chia-Yao replied with a smile. The two jumped down from the wall and began to jog silently through the streets of Tokyo. It was nearing dawn when Kenshin called a halt to their extended jog, Chia-Yao gratefully collapsed to the ground under a tree. *You need to get in better shape*, he silently chided Sir Charles. 
> 
> *Don't these people ride horses?*, Charles said pointedly. 
> 
> *Not unless you're a ex-lord*, Chia-Yao replied. 
> 
> *But I *am* a lord*, Charles complained. 
> 
> *Not here*, Chia-Yao said pointedly. 
> 
> They sat quietly for a few minutes, "You realise that this is dangerous", Kenshin said firmly, "I can't protect you..". 
> 
> "I'm here to protect you", Chia-Yao pointed out. 
> 
> "I don't need protection", Kenshin replied firmly. 
> 
> "You said that last night", Chia-Yao said, "My answer is the same, until I'm ordered differently that's what I'm going to do". 
> 
> Kenshin sighed, "You are very dedicated", he observed. 
> 
> Chia-Yao smiled, "No less than you", he said, "This is what? the second time this has happened to you?". 
> 
> Kenshin nodded, "I barely survived the last attempted overthrow", he said quietly. 
> 
> "That was the one initiated by your replacement Battosai?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> "Yes", Kenshin said flatly, his eyes hard. He stood suddenly, "We can talk on the way". 
> 
> "I meant to ask last night", Chia-Yao said, "Where are we going anyway?". 
> 
> "Kyoto", Kenshin said, "That's where everyone tries to overthrow the government.. besides I have some friends there who might know what's going on". 
> 
> The two took the early morning train to Kyoto, Chia-Yao paid for a ticket at Sir Charles' insistence that he couldn't walk all the way. They arrived around midday and within a few minutes of their arrival they encountered nearly a dozen scruffy-looking thugs. It took only a few moments for Chia-Yao to identify the three thugs that he'd been unfortunate enough to encounter on his previous visit to the city. 
> 
> "Now Gaijin, let's see you beat all of us", Akihito said with a sneer as his men pulled various weapons out. 
> 
> Kenshin was look at Chia-Yao curiously, "It appears I'm not the only one with enemies", he observed. 
> 
> "And they appear to multiply", Chia-Yao noted, his hand resting lightly on his sabre. 
> 
> "Get out of here old man", one of the younger punks suggested to Kenshin, "We only want the Gaijin". 
> 
> "Now, now", Kenshin said, walking forward, his arms extended non-threateningly, "Why can't we all just get along..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao was about to move and pull him back when one of the thugs slashed at Kenshin with a rusty-looking sword. There was a ring of metal as Kenshin caught the swing on the hilt of his sword. Chia-Yao blinked in surprise, Kenshin had moved so fast it had been almost invisible. In fact to most observers it was indeed like the sword had appeared in his had by magic. 
> 
> The thugs backed off a little at this, looking at Kenshin a little more cautiously. Chia-Yao noticed out of the corner of his eye a movement from a window and his sword flashed through the air beside Kenshin catching an arrow and smashing it from the air. He took two steps and flung the sword at the running bowman, it caught him in the legs and he fell heavily. At that point the thugs attacked. The first to attack Chia-Yao was carrying another rusty katana and was more than a little surprised when he suddenly found himself face-down in the dust, divested of his sword. 
> 
> "Now this is more like it", Chia-Yao said, testing the weight of the Katana with practised ease. Kenshin meanwhile had put four of their attackers down without even drawing his sword. Chia-Yao smiled and waded into the fight, being careful not to kill any of the thugs (since he wasn't sure how that'd effect the timeline). Confronted by a Gaijin wielding a katana like a samurai and a Rurouni who didn't even need to draw his sword to take out their compatriots the remaining thugs fled a few moments later. 
> 
> When Kenshin turned to face Chia-Yao he was nodded appreciatively at the rusted sword in his hand, "A good weapon", he said, "even if it is rusty". He retrieved the sheath from the unconscious thug and the two walked down the street to where the bowman was shaking his head and trying to stand. 
> 
> Chia-Yao retrieved the sabre and lifted the bowman up to eye level, "So how did such a scruffy band get an expert bowman like yourself?", he asked, "And why did you try and kill my friend here?". 
> 
> The terrified bowman opened his mouth to answer, but before he could his throat suddenly was crushed. Chia-Yao cursed and dropped the body, "Damn", he muttered. 
> 
> Kenshin blinked, "That was unusual", he observed dryly. 
> 
> Chia-Yao nodded, "Let's get out of here", he said firmly, "There are some dark things out this evening". 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Kenshin was warmly welcomed by his friends the Oniwa Banshu and Chia-Yao recieved a polite (if reserved) welcome. He was escorted to a room by an attractive young lady that informed him that dinner would be served shortly and could he please remain in his room. 
> 
> *So what now?*, Sir Charles asked, *You realise that Kenshin is going to try and skip out on you?*. 
> 
> *Of course*, Chia-Yao replied. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, *We're being watched*, he observed, *Spy hole in the floor over beside the futon*. 
> 
> He walked around a little and laid down quietly, he could just hear someone's quiet and controlled breathing from the small spyhole. A few moments later dinner arrived and he smiled gratefully at the young lady, "Thank you very much", he said politely. She smiled and bowed slightly as she shut the door. 
> 
> With a wicked smile Chia-Yao stirred his hot tea, until it was only mildly warm. In a sharp motion he flung it at the spyhole. Most of the lukewarm tea went on course and there was a muffled scream of dismay from downstairs. There was a moment of silence then he heard someone stamping their way towards his door, "Please Misao.. you can't..", were the only words that Chia-Yao picked up before the door to his room was almost ripped off it's hinges by a young girl, he blinked in surprise. 
> 
> She was dripping with his lukewarm tea, "Oh my", he observed calmly, "It appears that I spilled my tea..". 
> 
> The young girl (who was wearing a ninja outfit) glared at him, "Who are you and what are you doing here?", she asked bluntly, "And why are you travelling with Kenshin?". 
> 
> Chia-Yao smiled slightly, something about this girl reminded him of Skuld and he couldn't resist baiting her a little, "I'm trying to have a quiet dinner at the moment", he said, "Could I trouble you for some more tea?". 
> 
> Her face went red and she muttered something incomprehensible and turned on her heel, stalking away. Chia-Yao smiled slightly and continued to eat in silence, not long after he'd finished his meal Kenshin found him. The red-haired samurai looked more than a little pale. 
> 
> "What's wrong?", Chia-Yao asked quickly. 
> 
> Kenshin sat down and leaned against the wall, "Okina.. he.. his information says that the trouble recently is related to someone who's calling himself Shi-Shi-O..", he said quietly. 
> 
> "The same Shi-Shi-O who you defeated before?", Chia-Yao asked, "I thought he was dead". 
> 
> "He was", Kenshin said, "I watched him die". 
> 
> "Perhaps it's someone calling himself 'Shi-Shi-O' then", Chia-Yao mused, "using the name to instil fear..". 
> 
> Kenshin shook his head, "Okina's sources described several attacks that he used.. I doubt anyone but the real Shi-Shi-O would be able to use them..", he said. 
> 
> Chia-Yao frowned thoughtfully, "This could be a problem", he observed. 
> 
> "Obviously", a sarcastic voice from the door said pointedly, "Shi-Shi-O almost destroyed the government last time, and it appears this time he's ignoring the smaller provinces and bringing his army directly towards Kyoto". 
> 
> "I assume the government is doing something about this?", Chia-Yao asked, glancing at Misao curiously. 
> 
> She nodded, "The army has been mobilised", she said, "But there are some strange rumours about Shi-Shi-O's army.. it's said to contain Demons and ghouls..". There was a long silence at this, Kenshin stood, "I have agreed to go with the army", he said, "Shi-Shi-O was my responsibility". 
> 
> "Kenshin!", Misao said, "You already fought him once, let the government deal with it! he almost killed you last time..". 
> 
> Kenshin smiled slightly and shook his head, "Then at least I know I can defeat him", he said simply. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao sat quietly looking up at the stars and the moon, he shook himself when he realised what he was doing. "I've been hanging around Brett too much", he said glumly. He'd always been critical of his brother's stargazing habit and Brett had always given him the same answer when he'd asked, "When I look at the stars", Brett said, "I'm taking a trip in time.. the light from those stars is years old.. you're looking back, but at the same time you're looking forward. The stars are mankind's future and the promise of tomorrow". Chia-Yao had never really thought about those words until he'd been immersed in the past as he was now. 
> 
> He heard a faint noise and didn't bother looking, "Close", he said, "But you still made enough noise for me to hear you". 
> 
> Misao appeared out of the darkness and sat down beside him, they'd been playing this game for the last week, while Kenshin and Okina continued to gather information. She was immensely frustrated that she couldn't sneak up on him. "What are you looking at?", she asked. 
> 
> "The stars", he replied with a smile. 
> 
> "Oh.. they must be different from where you live", she said. 
> 
> Chia-Yao smiled, remembering that she thought he was from Europe, "A little different", he said, "They are in different positions.. ". He smiled at her thoughtfully, "I was surprised to see Shinomori at our little meeting this morning", he said. 
> 
> Misao's face lit up, "Aoshi-sama is quite the tactician", she said, "Even if he won't pick up his blades anymore, he is still a formidable member of the Oniwabanshu..". 
> 
> She broke off when she noticed his expression, "What?", she asked, blushing obviously (even in the moonlight). 
> 
> "He seems rather.. cold to me", Chia-Yao observed. 
> 
> "Oh, he doesn't smile very often", Misao said with a knowing nod, "But he cares a great deal about what happens to the country..". 
> 
> "And what about you?", Chia-Yao asked evenly. 
> 
> Misao was silent for a long moment, "I know he cares for me", she replied softly, "I know that I lov... ". She shook her head and her hair obscured her face for a moment, "He raised me", she said, "I think he feels that I'm his sister or something". 
> 
> "That must make things awkward", Chia-Yao said quietly, thinking of his own recent problems with his feelings for Skuld, "If he sees you that way..". 
> 
> Misao nodded and then smiled brilliantly, "But then even if he doesn't feel for me the same way I feel for him, at least I can be with him", she said firmly, "I don't care what else happens, so long as the two of us can be together somehow". 
> 
> Chia-Yao blinked at the statement, "But.. if you feel that way about him..", he began. 
> 
> She shook her head, "It's not important what I feel", she said, almost angrily, "I know he cares for me, so long as he feels something for me, that's all I want - I want to know that he cares!". They were both silent for a long time before Misao spoke up, "So who is it you care for that doesn't return your feelings?", she asked suddenly. 
> 
> "Uhhh..", Chia-Yao said dubiously, she'd picked his thoughts as easily as if she'd used a spell, "no one.. I was just curious..". 
> 
> "Sure you were", Misao said, standing, "You can't fool a ninja so easily". She disappeared into the darkness, leaving Chia-Yao with a lot of things to think about. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> The next day Kenshin and Chia-Yao set out from Kyoto, heading for a remote village in the mountains. They were to meet the first two divisions of the army there and forge ahead into the deep mountains where Shishio's army was building. Kenshin was silent throughout the day and Chia-Yao kept himself busy by remembering some of the more mundane demon-fighting techniques. 
> 
> Each evening of the trip he performed a ceremony that dated back into the reaches of time, he would expose the blade of the Katana he had taken from the thugs to the moonlight - while reciting some incantations. Each night the blade shone brighter and brighter in the moonlight and he worked until nearly midnight on the blade's edge and returning it to top condition. 
> 
> Kenshin was more and more withdrawn as the days passed, obviously deep in his own thoughts of strategy - in his final battle with Shishio, the only reason he had won was that Shishio's own body had given out, if the madman had truly returned from the grave - then it would be unlikely for it to give out again. They met the army and set out at it's head. Inside Chia-Yao's head, Sir Charles let out a mental whistle at the firepower arrayed in front of them, *Those are twelve pound guns*, he murmured, *Along with Gatling guns and the newer repeating rifles*. There were nearly three thousand men arrayed with the very latest equipment. *Obviously they're taking this threat very, very seriously*, Sir Charles said. 
> 
> Chia-Yao was more than a little dismayed, three thousand men - if many of them were killed or wounded - it would represent a staggering shift in the timeline. There would be hell to pay over this, Brett would not be happy at all. 
> 
> He caught up with Kenshin that evening, "We need to talk", he said bluntly. Kenshin nodded and followed him out of the camp. 
> 
> "This can't happen", Chia-Yao said firmly, "These men can't be allowed to engage in hand to hand combat with Shishio's army..". 
> 
> "What are you talking about?", Kenshin asked in confusion, "I admit that it's not a nice thought.. all the destruction..". 
> 
> "No, it's not that", Chia-Yao said, "This isn't suppose to be happening..". 
> 
> "What do you mean?", he asked. 
> 
> Chia-Yao opened his mouth, but before he could say anything there was a flash of light, Kenshin was frozen like a statue and a deafening silence filled the night. Chia-Yao recognised it immediately, someone had used a timestop - a spell limited to only a few of the Gods. "Who are you?", a familiar voice rang out. 
> 
> He turned to see a towering figure in light blue robes, "Who are you to be here out of time?", it asked again. 
> 
> "T..Tlesta?", Chia-Yao breathed. 
> 
> Tlesta, God of Destiny nodded, "I see you know my name.. but who are you?", he demanded. 
> 
> "I'm Chia-Yao", he said, "God of..". 
> 
> "Truth", Tlesta finished, "You're not suppose to be around for nearly a hundred years.. what are you doing here now?". 
> 
> "You know that?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> "Of course I do.. I'm Destiny", Tlesta said with a grimace, "I must make a note to give you more instruction in temporal mechanics and ethics.. if you've come back here and are playing with things..". 
> 
> "I'm not playing", Chia-Yao said quickly, "Something is out of whack.. I was send back here by..". 
> 
> "The God of Destiny from your time", Destiny finished, "Brett I think his name will be..". 
> 
> "You know about that?", Chia-Yao demanded. 
> 
> "Of course I do.. I'm..", Tlesta began. 
> 
> "Destiny", Chia-Yao finished. 
> 
> Tlesta sat down against a tree, "How about you explain", he said, patting the ground beside him. Chia-Yao sat down, feeling more than a little awkward beside his older brother, he started at the beginning. It didn't take long until Tlesta was nodding, "I understand and I applaud your courage for coming back here", he said. 
> 
> "But what are we going to do about it?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> "Well the first thing", Tlesta said, pointing at Kenshin, "Don't tell him anything - you can't change his perceptions of the universe.. it'll screw up too many things". The God of Destiny nodded, "I will guide you tomorrow", he said, "Bring your new-found friend there and I'll organise things so that you will meet up with the head of the snake". 
> 
> Chia-Yao opened his mouth to thank his brother, but there was a flash of blue light and the God had vanished. Kenshin became active again immediately, "I said: What do you mean?", Kenshin asked again. 
> 
> "Tomorrow, you and I have a meeting", Chia-Yao said, "We have to cut off the head of the snake..". 
> 
> Kenshin blinked, "I understand that.. but..", he began. 
> 
> "No questions, please?", Chia-Yao asked, "I can't answer most of them.. and the ones I can.. I don't think you'd believe". 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao nodded silently to Kenshin. The two had left the army earlier that morning, Chia-Yao leading the way through the forest. Unknown to Kenshin, Chia-Yao was following an invisible trail that only he could see. They were crouched behind some trees as a large column of enemy troops marched past. The smell was terrible, Shishio was using decomposed corpses of warriors as his main force. Kenshin's face was pale as he watched the undead march past their position, but he kept quiet and waited for Chia- Yao's signal. 
> 
> Early in the afternoon a carriage approached down the path, Chia-Yao nodded and Kenshin joined him in the middle of the road. "Demon!", Chia-Yao called out loudly, "Your kind is not welcome in this world.. and we are here to remove you from it..". 
> 
> The carriage stopped, the two very-dead horses leading it snorted, their red eyes glaring. The door opened and a figure clad in bandages stepped out, Kenshin drew in a breath sharply, "Shishio", he murmured. 
> 
> "Indeed Sempai", Shishio replied, a glint in his burning red eyes, "I have returned.. and this time - you shall not stop me". 
> 
> Chia-Yao was mentally reviewing his options, this demon was powerful, at least a class-2, "So how did you get here?", Chia- Yao demanded, "Was is one of the devils that sent you back to this time?". 
> 
> Shishio glanced at Chia-Yao sharply, "You seem to know a lot", he observed, "Far too much in fact". 
> 
> "I've often been told that", Chia-Yao said evenly, "The Truth will set you free". 
> 
> "Ahhh", Shishio said, his eyes widening, "You are Truth, Enma thought that Destiny would send you.. since he could not come himself". 
> 
> "Then you know that you can't defeat me", he said, "You are only a class-2, not nearly a match for me". 
> 
> Shishio drew his sword, it glowed darkly, "Normally that would be the case, however you are merely a mortal here and I can kill you as easily as I will kill my Sempai here", he said, walking forward. 
> 
> Kenshin looked confused, but he drew his sword as well. Chia-Yao waited a little longer and drew his blade out slowly. Shishio suddenly stopped moving forward, "So you have enchanted your blade?", he asked, "A good strategy.. but you lack scope..". 
> 
> There was a whistling sound and Kenshin suddenly deflected an arrow bound for Chia-Yao's back. A ring of undead archers rose up around the two warriors. Chia-Yao dodged and swung his blade wildly, he and Kenshin dodged out of the circle, cutting down three of the archers. The two found themselves caught amongst nearly a hundred of the creatures and Chia-Yao felt a sudden chill as he remembered one of the warnings Brett had given him, "If you die in the past.. you die in the present - don't get yourself dead brother". 
> 
> He dodged and weaved, keeping Kenshin's back clear, even as Kenshin cut their way through. There was a sharp crack from nearby and an undead warrior was suddenly cut down. What followed was a hail of bullets, followed by a barrage of artillery fire. The ground that Kenshin and Chia-Yao now fought over was covered with bodies, it was blackened and blasted. They moved towards their army's lines. 
> 
> Chia-Yao suddenly blinked, he saw a familiar figure amongst the carnage, he deflected a blow from one of the enemy, just as the army charged, soldiers swarmed the field in brutal one-on-one combat. He fought his way through the crowd to where he thought he'd seen her, but she wasn't there. He could have sworn he'd seen Skuld in the midst of the melee. 
> 
> "Chia-Yao, can you hear me?", a voice ghosted in. He turned around sharply, there she was, she looked a little different - but it was her, "Skuld?", he asked. 
> 
> "I'm here", Skuld replied shakily. 
> 
> "Skuld.. what are you..", he felt a searing pain in his chest and he looked down to see an arrowpoint sticking out. It was like he was in a dream, he could feel the pain and he knew he'd been badly wounded. He unconsciously clutched at the arrow as he fell to the ground, blood spilling out and the pain matching his heartbeat. He looked up at Skuld's face and saw her shock and dismay. He wanted to say 'don't worry' or 'I'll be ok', but she disappeared a second later. And a moment after that he lost consciousness, idly wondering if he would ever wake up. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Consciousness returned slowly, every painful second of it. Chia-Yao wondered for a moment why no one had seen fit to cast a healing spell on him. Then as his eyes focused he remembered where he was, healing spells were about a hundred and twenty years away. His chest hurt more than he could ever remember, it was a struggle just to draw breath. 
> 
> He managed to look around the room without moving too much and he noticed a dark haired lady sitting not too far away, she was dozing from the looks of things. He didn't recognise the room, there were racks on the walls, containing jars of various shapes and colours. Also there were several drawings of what looked like human anatomy. Obviously they'd brought him to a doctor's office. Although female doctors were rare in this time and place. 
> 
> The slightest effort to move his head brought a groan to his lips and the woman was instantly alert. She moved to his side and examined his eyes and breathing for a moment, "Don't try to talk or move", she said seriously, "The arrow came within a hair of killing you instantly...". 
> 
> He nodded a tiny bit (mainly cause of the pain that brought him) and closed his eyes again after she gave him something to drink, "Sleep now", she said softly, her voice seeming to come from a long way off, "That's the best thing for you..". What followed was several uncomfortably real dreams, that left him wondering how Brett managed to tell dreams from reality. 
> 
> When Chia-Yao next awoke he felt quite a bit better, the pain was still there, but it was more of a dull ache. He could move his head from side to side without pain and he looked around thoughtfully, the door to the room was open and a pleasantly cool breeze flowed inside. Just outside the door there was an older man, who glanced over at him, "Awake now?", he asked, "How are you feeling?". 
> 
> "A little better", Chia-Yao replied, his voice sounding a little strange to his own ears. The old man helped him sit up slowly, "I'm going to examine you now", he said. What followed was a rather detailed examination, every so often the old doctor would make encouraging noises, so Chia-Yao took that as a good thing. 
> 
> "So how am I?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> "You need to rest", the doctor replied firmly, "I don't want you on your feet for another few days at least.. and even then.. I don't want you to go far..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao nodded, his mind already going over several treatments and potions that he'd learned to make for just such an emergency. The cures might not be up to Belldandy's standards, but they'd do for the moment. "Where's Kenshin?", he asked after a moment, "How'd I get back here? what happened to Shishio's army?". 
> 
> "All good questions", the doctor said, "I'll ask Megumi to bring Kenshin over this evening". Chia-Yao had a night of restless sleep, his hunger for answers making it even more difficult to rest. 
> 
> Kenshin arrived early the next morning, "I'm glad to see you're recovered", he said with a smile. Kenshin placed a sword on the ground beside Chia-Yao, it was the same Katana that he'd dropped after being hit by the arrow. 
> 
> "What happened?", Chia-Yao asked, "How did I get here?". 
> 
> "After you were hit by the arrow the tide had slowly turned against Shishio's army", Kenshin explained, "I took up the sword that you'd dropped and defeated Shishio in single combat". 
> 
> "You did?", Chia-Yao was stunned, this mortal had defeated a 2nd Class Demon. Admittedly he had the sword that had been enchanted, but still - that was an amazing feat. Kenshin described the fight briefly and Chia-Yao listened intently. 
> 
> "Excuse me Ken-san", a female voice interrupted their conversation, "He needs his rest, you can talk all you like when he's healed". Kenshin smiled and inclined his head politely, "I bow to your wisdom Megumi-dono", he said formally, before bidding goodbye to Chia-Yao. Megumi then ordered Chia-Yao back to sleep, providing him with a drink sufficiently dosed that he didn't argue with her. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Chia-Yao groaned in pain as he slipped on a shirt. *You nearly killed me remember?*, Sir Charles reminded Chia-Yao, *I should never have agreed to letting you use my body..* 
> 
> "I already apologised", Chia-Yao said quietly, making sure no one else was around with a quick glance, "You can have your body back any day now.. as soon as I'm strong enough to call my brother and have him take me back". 
> 
> Sir Charles had been 'unconscious' since Chia-Yao's run in with Tlesta and he was amazed at the change in attitude in the young god since he'd awoken. Chia-Yao was downright depressed, a complete change from his previous 'go get 'em' attitude. *I wish you'd quit your moping*, Sir Charles finally said out loud, *So what if you couldn't be the 'big hero' - at least your mission was completed*. 
> 
> "Being the 'hero' has nothing to do with it", Chia-Yao snapped angrily. 
> 
> *Then what the hell is wrong?*, Sir Charles demanded, *You've been moping about, delaying your return to your own time.. don't think I don't know that you're well enough to call your brother*. 
> 
> Chia-Yao was taken aback, "What are you talking about?", he said, a little less angrily. 
> 
> *You are almost healthy*, Sir Charles said, *Aside from a few aches and pains.. I know my own body well enough to know that*. 
> 
> Chia-Yao had no answer for that, he sat silently for a long moment, before taking a deep breath. He walked outside to say his farewells to Kenshin and the others. His goodbye was short and to the point and he went through it like a robot, just spouting the right phrases. He agreed that the next time he was back this way that he'd drop by and then departed the Kamiya Dojo. 
> 
> *Well that was abrupt*, Sir Charles pointed out, *I think you hurt Kaoru's feelings not staying longer with them*. 
> 
> "I have things to do in my own time.. I've been gone from there for more than two months in real time", he replied. 
> 
> *Oh*, Sir Charles was silent for a long time, *You're worried about that dark haired girl in your dreams?*. 
> 
> Chia-Yao stopped in mid-step, "How do you know about her?", he demanded. 
> 
> *I can see your dreams*, Sir Charles said, confusion evident in his statement, *I don't know why.. but you're worried about her.. but more than that you see her as a..*. 
> 
> "I'm afraid you're mistaken", Chia-Yao broke in, "You're been seeing some dreams brought on by the wounds and fever". They'd come to a relatively isolated park and Chia-Yao sat down, mumbling some words that Sir Charles couldn't pick up. 
> 
> "I'm ready to come home", he said quietly. 
> 
> *You can't just go..*, Sir Charles began. 
> 
> "Thank you for the use of your body Sir Charles", Chia-Yao said formally, "It is appreciated and will be remembered". 
> 
> *Now wait*, Sir Charles began, *You can't just leave*. As he finished he was aware that he was in control of his own body again. He shook his head at the unfamiliar feeling and picked up his bags and swords. He slowly began walking towards the train station to begin his trip back to England, "This whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth", he muttered quietly. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> There was a flash of blue light and Chia-Yao felt the familiar presence of his brother, he also noticed absently that his powers had returned. He opened his eyes slowly, "Welcome back Bro", Brett said, his voice seemed happy, but more than a little tired. 
> 
> Brett was leaning against the long stone alter-like table that Chia-Yao was laying on, his face was more than a little pale. Urd was standing not too far away, also a little pale, she was sitting with her back against the wall. 
> 
> "Glad to be back...", Chia-Yao began, trying to sit up. He managed to get half into a sitting position before a pain in his chest asserted itself. He gasped, clutching his chest, it was burning. Ripping open his shirt he discovered a ragged red scar. It was in the exact same position as the arrow wound he'd recieved in the past. 
> 
> "Sorry", Brett apologised, "I warned you that if you got hurt it was repeated here - you're just lucky that we were monitoring your body..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao pulled in some of his power and spread out a healing spell across his chest. The pain disappeared, but the scar remained. "It won't heal?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> Brett shook his head, "I'm sorry", he repeated, "but you'll have to carry it with you from now on..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao touched the scar gently, "I see", he said softly. 
> 
> "Are you ok?", Brett asked, noticing his strange tone and expression. 
> 
> "I'm fine now", Chia-Yao said, almost jumping off the table, "How're things in the present, have you found anything out about our little traveller?". 
> 
> Brett shrugged, "About the same", he said, "Skuld still hasn't come back..". 
> 
> Chia-Yao shrugged, "I mean with regards to this mission, I don't relish the idea of going back into the past again", he said. 
> 
> "Oh.. well.. no", Brett said, confusion in his tone, "I've managed to put up a spell that will detect and inform me if anyone gathers enough power to effect travel, so hopefully that'll give us enough warning to stop them in the present..". 
> 
> "Not a good enough solution", Chia-Yao said, "We've gotta stop the Demons themselves.. I'll see if I can work out something to trace whatever cast the original spell". He nodded and walked out of the room, leaving a startled and confused Brett and Urd. 
> 
> Urd accepted a hand up from Brett, "What's got into him?", she murmured, "He was worried about Skuld two months ago.. I would have thought that he'd be even more worried". 
> 
> Brett nodded, "I don't know", he admitted, "But at the moment I'm too tired to think straight". 
> 
> "To bed", Urd agreed, offering him her arm. Brett grinned at her quick agreement and the two disappeared a moment later in a flash of light. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Brett glanced up from his computer terminal as the door to his study opened, Urd stormed in and he prepared himself to weather another storm. "What's wrong?", he asked, before she could say anything. 
> 
> "It's your brother", she snapped, "Since he came back all he's done is sit in his castle and sulk! all we've had from him is that report you're reading again". 
> 
> "Yup, so?", Brett replied with a curious look. 
> 
> "What do you mean so?", Urd demanded through clenched teeth, "He was gone two months.. and you saw him when we brought him back, he had a wound on his chest! Gods don't get wounds like that!!". 
> 
> "What do you want me to do?", Brett asked with a sigh, he turned off his terminal and faced her, "All I know about what happened is what he put in his report - he was wounded in the battle with that demon". 
> 
> "Do?", Urd echoed, "You can bloody well go and talk to him!". 
> 
> Brett shook his head, "Urd, I can't force him to tell me anything", he said sadly, "He might prefer to be alone..". 
> 
> Urd leaned very close to Brett, "You go and talk to him", she repeated slowly, "Or *I* will". 
> 
> A few moments (and one teleport spell) later, Brett was 'knocking' on Chia-Yao's door. The huge iron and wood drawbridge lowered at his approach and he walked inside. The changes that had been made astounded him - Chia-Yao's workroom, once a clutter of unimaginable junk was neat and tidy. There were rows of equipment, all neatly labelled. He stopped in shock, never had he seen the place so clean. 
> 
> Chia-Yao walked in from the other side of the room, "Brett, I thought I heard you come in", he said with a small smile, "What do you think?". 
> 
> "Very..uhh..neat", Brett replied, "What happened to the organised chaos that seemed to permeate the place?". 
> 
> "Oh a bit of 'spring cleaning'", Chia-Yao said with a shrug, "I thought I'd better get things more organised - it doesn't do for the commander of the Security Daemons to show sloppiness". 
> 
> Brett's mind was spinning, "Oh", he said (for lack of anything better to say). 
> 
> "I've sorted out a lot of junk", Chia-Yao went on, he pointed to a large cargo container at the back of the room, "All that stuff is Skuld's - I figured she might like it returned". 
> 
> "Why?", Brett asked with a frown, "Didn't she used to work on that stuff with you?". 
> 
> Chia-Yao nodded and shrugged, "Yeah, but we're not kids anymore - she'd be better of keeping her projects at her own home - and if we need to pool our resources again we can always use the public labs", he explained. 
> 
> Brett frowned thoughtfully, "What brought this on?", he asked pointedly. 
> 
> "I realised that I was neglecting my duties", Chia-Yao said firmly. He walked out of the room, Brett trailing behind him. 
> 
> Chia-Yao went to his private rooms and sat down in his favourite chair, "I missed this while I was away", he said with a grin, "19th Century Japan really didn't have comfortable chairs..". 
> 
> Brett sat down opposite him, "All right", he said, "What's wrong?". 
> 
> "You could say that my near-death experience has given me a new outlook on life", Chia-Yao said, "I realised that I was putting pressure on Skuld.. telling her that I loved her like that really wasn't in either of our best interests..". 
> 
> "You what?", Brett asked in amazement, "When?". 
> 
> "Just before she disappeared", Chia-Yao said with a shrug, "I was putting too much pressure on her - so I decided to back off". 
> 
> Brett raised an eyebrow, "Going to play 'hard to get'?", he asked curiously. 
> 
> Chia-Yao blinked, "No", he said. 
> 
> "What do you mean no?", Brett asked, "Why else are you doing this?". 
> 
> "You know about Skuld's mortal 'boyfriend'?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> Brett nodded. 
> 
> "Well I decided that I had too much of an advantage", he went on, "It's hardly fair of me to hoard all of Skuld's toys here is it?". 
> 
> "That's a pretty weak argument", Brett replied dubiously, "You think Skuld will buy it?". 
> 
> Chia-Yao blinked, "Uhh.. what do you mean?", he asked. 
> 
> "That's rather lame Bro", Brett said with a smile, "I guess as the God of Truth you haven't have much practice at lying, have you?". 
> 
> "W.. What makes you think I'm lying?", Chia-Yao asked. 
> 
> "You're whole posture", Brett pointed out, "And then there's the old 'all's fair in love and war' which seems to contradict you". He smiled slightly, "Bro, think you can explain things to me?", he asked, "I might be able to help?". 
> 
> Chia-Yao shook his head, "No Brett", he said, "I need to figure things out for myself.. ". 
> 
> Brett nodded, "I understand, but don't make the people who care about you worry..", he said, "And learn to lie a bit better?". 
> 
> Chia-Yao laughed, "I guess I could say that I need the room for a new project", he mused. 
> 
> "That's the spirit", Brett said, "Welcome to the game of 'Us verses Them' an age old contest". 
> 
> "So how do we know when we've won?", Chia-Yao asked curiously. 
> 
> "Ahhh", Brett said with a grin, "Winning or losing isn't important.. it's how you play the game". 
> 
> Chia-Yao raised an eyebrow at this, "And how is your contest with Urd going?", he asked. 
> 
> "Very, very well", Brett replied, "I've worked out a fool- proof strategy". 
> 
> The God of Truth looked interested at that, "What strategy is this?", he asked. 
> 
> Brett stood, "I realised that the only way to win is not to play", he said, "Urd and I being happy is far more important than any silly game". He nodded to Chia-Yao and disappeared in a flash of blue light, leaving the very confused God of Truth to puzzle over that. 
> 
> ****** 
> 
> Urd looked up as Brett entered their little house by her fountain, "Well?", she asked as he sat down beside her. 
> 
> Brett shrugged, "I think the trip changed my brother in more ways than one", he said, "Chia-Yao has grown up a bit.. and not all of it good". 
> 
> Urd frowned, "And did you help him?", she asked. 
> 
> "Nope", Brett replied, closing his eyes and leaning back on the couch, "He has to grow up himself.. I can't do it for him". 
> 
> "Oh", Urd was silent for a long moment. She leaned closer to Brett and he put an arm around her, "Do you know he told Skuld that he loved her?", Brett asked. 
> 
> Urd laughed quietly, "That was obvious", she said. 
> 
> "To you or me", Brett agreed, "but to Skuld?". 
> 
> "Perhaps.. that's why she left?", Urd mused. 
> 
> "Maybe", Brett said, "But it has to be more than that - either way my love, we can't interfere with their relationship". He caught a look in Urd's eye and kissed her on the nose, "No dear", he said sternly, "Not unless we're asked". 
> 
> "But if they ask?", Urd said. 
> 
> "Then we'll move heaven and earth to help them", Brett agreed with a smile. 
> 
> ***** END***** 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Author's Notes: 
> 
> This little story that I started more than a year ago turned out very different than I'd originally promised Icezer230 and my apologies if it's a little darker than my other works. I blame that on changes in my own life - which naturally has an effect on my writing. When I think back to when I started writing OMGod a few years ago (1995) I was a very different person with little knowledge of the 'real world'. Now that I've had a taste, I think I prefer fiction :) 
> 
> Kenshin is one of my favourite anime series, right up along there with OMG, Slayers and a few others that top my list. I've been wanting to write a story based in that universe ever since I saw my first episode. One of the reasons this story took me so long to finish was that I didn't want to screw up the characters from RK too badly - I was waiting for a friend to finally get me the last dozen or so tapes. 
> 
> OMGod was a self-insert fic when I wrote it, now it's something rather different - that naive kid who just sat down one hot Saturday afternoon and started typing for the fun of it ceased to be me a few years ago. Which is one reason why I've avoided writing anymore OMGod stories - it's hard for me to get 'in character' at this point. To everyone who's been asking me to write more - I'm going to have to disappoint you and say 'no'. At least for the time being. This will be the last OMGod story for the foreseeable future - at least with me as it's primary author that is. 
> 
> I'm going to sit down tomorrow and work out which stories I want to continue and which I don't - I'll look at putting up some information on my web page about it when I make a decision. To everyone who's enjoyed reading my stories, thank you! the e-mails I've gotten have been very encouraging and maybe one day I might think about writing something that could be published. 
> 
> -----Brett Handy (12th Feb 2000) 

   [1]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [2]: http://www.ozanime.com/



	11. The Window to the Truth

"Ai Shiteru"--Chapter V: The Window to the Truth

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An Ah! My Goddess/Ah! Megami-sama Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHT STUFF 
> 
> This story right belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the 'No Mere Mortal' fanfiction is a creation of [Ed Sharpe][5]. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so give me all the gory details on spelling, grammar, and other errors. If you haven't read [chapter 1][6], please do so. 
> 
> *****
> 
> FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS LATER... 
> 
> "Brett, do you think we should look for Skuld now?" Urd asked for the hundredth time. Brett just sighed and looked at his notebook full of work he still had to complete for the university in order to graduate. 
> 
> Since he had been busy trying to finish his immortal duties recently, he had no chance to finish his university assignments. That was why he had a lot to do. He started to say something, but then the doorbell rang and Belldandy shouted from the kitchen that she would get it.
> 
> "I don't know, Urd. I'm sure she'll come back on her own. She's an adult now, after all," he said after a few moments. Urd scowled at the lack of participation in whoever she had asked that same question to. If that brat didn't come back this week, they were going to do things HER way and barge into Kami-sama's office to get him to locate her where ever she was and summon her back to them.
> 
> She smiled at the thought and stood up to go to her room to make some plans in the eventuality that Skuld wouldn't come back at the end of the week. When she came down the stairs, she was surprised to see Belldandy standing right in front of the open door and not doing anything. Her curiosity got to her and she went to investigate. She soon found herself also standing in the same position (in shock), and with perfectly good reason, too.
> 
> "The past is history,   
The future is a mystery,   
And now is a gift.   
That's why we call it   
The present."   
--unknown   

> 
> **CHAPTER V: THE WINDOW TO THE TRUTH**
> 
> Urd's eyes were fixed at the figure just ouside the door. It was Skuld, but…in the same sense, it _wasn't_ Skuld. The younger goddess had grown as tall as her and had changed, in those four and a half months, in more ways than one. She was wearing a more revealing and fashionable T-shirt (which meant sleeveless, daring, and tight as ever), torn-at-the-knee jeans, and had the perfect tan—which made her look amazingly more like Urd than ever before.
> 
> She had dyed her normally black hair slightly reddish brown and let it down (which reached to her knees) so it matched her tan (more like the normal Japanese teenager). In a way, the dying of her hair made her look like Belldandy since she was the one who had brown hair. As Urd eyed the muscles which bulged slightly on her arms due to a slight movement from Skuld, she realized that Skuld must have had exercised a lot or had a really tough time where ever she had been. 
> 
> Skuld was wearing fashionable rectangular-shaped blue-rimmed glasses but they were not the sunglasses a normal teenager had. They were prescription ones. She looked not a bit haggard (even though there was a tiredness in her eyes, Belldandy noted) and was looking back and forth from her elder sisters for what they were going to say to her. As Belldandy was the first to go into shock mode, she was the first to recover from it. She quickly hugged the young goddess and cried the tears of joy of finally being reunited with her sister.
> 
> Urd watched as her two younger sisters embraced. Skuld hugged Belldandy but she didn't seem to be hugging as much as she would normally. Urd realized that she was waiting for Urd to react, so Urd decided to go out of her own character for a minute. She hugged her youngest sister, almost suffocating Skuld because she was being hugged by two people. *What the hell* she thought. *She's my sister, isn't she?* It was then that Skuld started hugging back and smiling a little. It was good to know that the three sisters still had a close relationship with each other in spite of the fact that Skuld had left them for four and a half months. 
> 
> "Who was at the door, Urd? Was it the mailman?" Brett yelled from his room. The three broke their embrace and stared at each other. Then they all sported a mischevious little smile on their faces as they trotted to Brett's room. He was going to be in for a little surprise.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Did you see the look on his face!" Skuld laughed, tears coming out of her dark brown eyes. The three sisters had been laughing non-stop after seeing Brett's reaction to Skuld's appearance. Brett had looked at Skuld for a moment and suddenly fainted dead on spot. 
> 
> "Yeah. It was hillarious!" Urd said, her stomach starting to hurt. She hadn't had a good laugh like this since Brett had started to seriously prepare for his examinations in the university. Then, Belldandy stopped the commotion by raising one of hands, palms up.
> 
> "Please, sisters. You must calm yourselves down. We have a lot of things to talk about," Belldandy said, wiping the tears from her eyes. It was a rare moment, the three sisters laughing at the same time. Soon the fit came to an end and the conversation started.
> 
> "So where have you gone to for the last four and a half months?" Urd asked Skuld excitedly. Skuld seemed to have a more mature attitude about her and she seemed to have experienced a lot in that period of time. That would explain her change in physical appearance. An immortal literally grew up with the degree of maturity in their minds.
> 
> "I went to Bali for the first two weeks with Rhiana and that was fun and relaxing for a while. Then…" her face faltered for a while in the memory of Rhiana's mumbled words that night.
> 
> Then she continued, "she had to leave because Kami-sama had promoted her. I spent the rest of the time travelling the mortal world as well as going dimension hopping solo, seeing and experiencing things." Skuld talked a little more about her [travels][7] but she seemed to be hiding something. Urd noticed it but kept silent about it.
> 
> "I see you had fun," Belldandy said, her smile never faltering.
> 
> "Yes, Belldandy. I _did_ have some fun," Skuld answered. Urd raised her eyebrow as she heard Skuld call Belldandy other than the respected oneechan for the first time. Belldandy was surprised but was pleased at the fact that her younger sister was finally growing up. Urd also thought she heard a change in tone that would not normally be Skuld's happy tone and realized that she was hiding something. Something that she didn't want her to know about.
> 
> "So how'd you get the tan? Bali? I thought the conditions for a perfect tan was harder there because of the temperatures and everything…" Urd wondered. 
> 
> She alone had ultimately travelled to all of the mortal world's beaches and it was only try after try that she finally achieved the perfect tan. It was only unfortunate that she did not find out how she had actually achieved it. She had fallen asleep after the numerous calculations had tired her.
> 
> "I went to the mountains to ski but I found out with my calculations that the conditions were perfect there," Skuld replied swiftly. She saw that nothing had changed during her tim away. What she found amusing was that her oldest sister's attitude towards her had changed for the better. *I wonder if it's because she thinks I'm more mature* she thought silently. Yet she liked that part about coming home—her sisters clearly showed concern over her.
> 
> "…So have you made a decision yet?" Urd asked her abruptly in the old language. There was no need to ask what decision Skuld needed to make. It was concerning the Chia-Yao and Kenji business. Skuld was surprised that Urd had asked in such a straight-forward manner, but she nodded anyway. Belldandy and Urd gave each other a look and said no more. Skuld excused herself so she could unpack her things back in her old room. The two elder goddesses reluctantly agreed to it as they wanted to talk with her more.
> 
> "What do you think is going to happen?" Urd asked her sister after Skuld was safely out of hearing range.
> 
> "I do not know. What happens just happens," Belldandy said in the riddle-like tone she loved to use. Urd raised an eyebrow at the statement and went back to Brett's room. It was time to wake him up and tell him what had just happened.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Skuld's back? Thank you very much, Belldandy!" Kenji yelled into the receiver as he received her call. Then he hung up (to Belldandy's dismain) and hurried to change his clothes so he could go to the temple and see his beloved Skuld. He had been thinking of her every single day and his love had never faltered, even if she had left without a word. Today would be the day he would tell her of his feelings towards her. Today would be the day he would make his love happy. Today would be the day…
> 
> *****
> 
> "Skuld has returned? I see. Thank you very much for informing me, Belldandy. I really appreciate it. I'll come by tomorrow to visit you," Chia-yao's voice said, almost strained. Belldandy thought that he was just nervous and anxious. *At least he's got better manners than to hang up on me now* she thought with a sigh.
> 
> None of the occupants of the temple had seen Chia-yao since his exit in the temple except for Brett. Brett himself hadn't seen Chia-Yao after he had gone to his pocket dimension to console him. Syliana had been the last one to see him but she did not come to visit him after that.
> 
> "As always, you will be welcome in our temple," Belldandy said with a smile, admiring the young God's manners. They both hung up, but Belldandy's trek back to the kitchen was interrupted by a loud doorbell. She sighed and went to open the door for the young and inpatient Kenji.
> 
> "Hi Belldandy. I'll just go see Skuld now," he said as he rushed by her when the door opened. Belldandy's face faltered for a moment as she became annoyed with the teenager's rudeness but it went back to its normal smile after she spotted Keiichi coming up the steps of the temple. *That boy will ruin my mask one day and I won't be able to hold back...* she thought sadly.
> 
> *****
> 
> "Skuld? Belldandy told me you were back," Kenji said, knocking on Skuld's old room with three quick raps. There was no response so he decided to open the door to see if she was inside. The room's interior had been rearranged into so it gave a more teenage appeal, meaning there were hardly any of her old hobbies or projects and more teenage-like reading material like magazines and clothes scattered in a neat-like fashion on the floor among with a bunch of modern clothes...and some rather revealing underwear.
> 
> "Skuld?" he yelled out, his face reddening because of the sight. *Er....maybe I should have waited until tomorrow when she unpacked her stuff* he thought.
> 
> "Kenji?" a familiar but yet different voice of Skuld rang out, momentarily distracting Kenji from further thoughts. He realized that she was outside the window, on the roof: her favorite spot to sit and think (there was a ladder connecting the outside of her window to the roof). He spotted the ladder and climbed up to see an attractive tanned and brownish-red haired young woman in a tight revealing T-shirt and jeans staring at him through blue rimmmed glasses. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he gawked openly at the sight. *Wow, she's hot!* he thought. *Who the hell is she? Skuld's friend?*
> 
> "Excuse me, have you seen Skuld?" he asked after he finally regained control of his thoughts, looking around for the familiar looking figure of his beloved. There was no one on the roof except for her.
> 
> "Hi Kenji. Did you miss me?," the voice of Skuld asked through the lips of the young woman staring back at him in a most alluring manner. Kenji was so surprised that he forgot that he was holding the ladder, causing him to fall. He let out a surprised scream but he didn't feel the impact that much. Actually, he didn't feel anything. He opened one eye and saw the young woman, now on the ground, towering over him.
> 
> "Skuld?" he wondered, unsure of himself. *Shit, is that really the Skuld I know?* he swore to himself.
> 
> "Yes, it's me. You want to know how you could have possibly survived it? It's very simple. Look below you," Skuld's voice said again from the young woman's luscious lips. 
> 
> Instead of looking below him like Skuld said, he gazed at his beloved up and down and just gawked. *She's practically got the best parts of Urd and Belldandy together! Shit! I hope Keiichi remembers that Belldandy's _his_ girlfriend* he thought as he eyed her body. Getting rather impatient with Kenji's immature thoughts and the oggling of her body, Skuld sighed and snapped her fingers. Kenji fell to the ground with a loud thump.
> 
> "How…" the words got out of his mouth. His eyes widened at the sensation that he had been floating in mid-air.
> 
> "I'm a Goddess, Kenji. My sisters are Goddesses too. I cannot and will not love you for reasons you will not understand," she said again, looking deep into his eyes, her eyes boring into his. Kenji felt his heart being torn apart into little pieces by a shredder. Tears formed in his eyes and they slowly fell.
> 
> "Why did you lie to me?" he said, choking his words, his words echoing a sentiment the very words he had said in the past...or in this case, the future.
> 
> "I did not lie to you, Kenji. Goddesses cannot lie," she said. She continued after a moment, "I am sorry, Kenji, but I must erase your memory of me and our times together. It will be too painful for you to remember… It will be for the good of both of us that I do this. You must understand…"
> 
> "I don't understand, Skuld! I don't understand! What happened to the love we both had for each other? What happened? Who was that Chia-Yao person you had seen when you cast me away the last time we met! Is _he_ the reason why you're dumping me?" Kenji burst out.
> 
> "Chia-Yao is another God, Kenji. He has always been a good friend to me and always will be, but no, he is not. I am sorry Kenji, but from my travels in this world and beyond, I realized that I couldn't see myself with you," Skuld said, turning her head away from the heartbroken Kenji. She was visibly shaking as well and she had one hand to her face. It hurt her, to have to do this one more time. But it was necessary, and that was the only reason that drove her to this decision.
> 
> "What happened in these few months that would make you turn me away? I was your boyfriend, for God's sakes! You can't just turn me down like that! I deserve a better explanation!" he argued, tears running freely from his hurt eyes. His hands were cletched into fists, trying to put away the pain. It didn't work.
> 
> "Do you see this new body which I have acquired, and which you seem to have an attraction to? Don't think I didn't notice your dirty thoughts, Kenji. You know more than I do that you wanted my body and you were glad that it was me. I can read your mind as easily as you can see me. I could not have gained this body in just four months, Kenji. I was away from this temple for a time far more than you think, and…things have happened to me that you wouldn't believe.
> 
> I am sorry to have misled you in the beginning, Kenji. You, I cannot love. I will remember all the times we had together, Kenji—I always had, but I do not think them as you do. You must go now and live your life as it was meant to be...with someone else," Skuld said, touching and caressing his face with the palm of her right hand. She wiped away some of his tears with it and it hurt her to have to give him up, but she knew she had to do it. Suddenly and without warning, she leaned in and she kissed him. And rather passionately, at that. Kenji closed his eyes, accepted her kiss, and enjoyed his last moment with her as long as he could.
> 
> *****
> 
> It was at that moment that Urd had walked in on Skuld, intending to talk to her alone. Urd's eyes widened at the sight of her sister actually kissing someone. Yet she shouldn't have been surprised, considering all the changes she'd seen in her newly-returned sister. 
> 
> *I can't believe it. The brat actually chose Kenji over Chia-yao? Hm… Oh well, I hope she learnt how to kiss like that from all that spying she did on Brett and me…* she grinned, going towards the direction of some bushes. It was time for her to see how much more her sister gained in the aspect of love. 
> 
> She found a good spot to spy on them without being noticed, but she realized that there was another figure crouching right next to her. It was Belldandy and she was crying, wiping her tears with an always handy handkerchief.
> 
> "Belldandy!?" she whispered, not believing that her sister would have done something like spy on Skuld. The tears still flowed out from her eyes as belldandy turned around to see Urd sitting right next to her. It was one of the rare moments Urd had actually seen Belldandy cry.
> 
> "Urd, Skuld just…broke up with Kenji!" she said, crying away into Urd's shoulder. *What the hell? I thought she's making out with him? Gee, she sure has a weird way of breaking up with someone!* she thought confusedly. 
> 
> Suddenly she felt a brilliant flash of light and she turned towards the two teenagers. Skuld was now alone, for she had sent Kenji away with a transport spell after she had wiped his memory clean.
> 
> "You can come out now, guys. Show's over," Skuld said as if to them. Urd scowled and the two elder sisters rose from their hiding place. Skuld had a familiar and distinctive smirk on her face as she walked towards them.
> 
> "So what do you think of my acting?" she asked as she smiled. Belldandy, not really understanding what was going on but still unable to stop her tears, gave a '10' on a sign. Urd raised an eyebrow the score Belldandy gave Skuld for her 'performance' and faked a yawn as she gave her a '3', which visibly annoyed skuld. A blue aura started to form around her as her face darkened. It puzzled Urd because she never saw something like that before.
> 
> "You could have done it without the mushy stuff, kiddo," Urd joked, trying to keep a straight face. She then quickly added a '+7' on the sign as Skuld's face turned ugly and got out the familiar red hammer. 
> 
> Familiar sounds of destruction soon could be heard around the temple grounds. Keiichi had just pulled up the Temple's steps with his motorcycle as he heard the long-forgotten sounds of battle. *So Skuld's back?* he thought, reluctantly climbing up the stairs to survey the damage. A thud was soon heard and more laughter filled the temple as Keiichi had reacted the exact same way Brett had to Skuld's new appearance.
> 
> ***** END OF CHAPTER 5 *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: I know the change in Skuld is quite dramatic (well, that's what everyone's been telling me) so I've written a side story in which that is explained. An earlier but longer version was started but at the rate it was going, it would be years before I got to the real reason why Skuld changed so much. Sorry if you all read it already! This version is condensed, concise, and hopefully more interesting to read. The 'performance' Skuld gave is not real. She just says it that way because her two sisters were watching her as she broke off her relationship with Kenji. If you see the side-story, you will understand why she dumped him. Belldandy's comment about a mask: she tries to keep her anger inside (well, all the time) but Urd is the only one who knows what Belldandy's fury is like. Skuld was too small to remember (which is a good thing, or else she wouldn't know who else to turn to). Believe me, you don't want to be there. I know it's not good but hey, she has to keep her appearances. I wish I could get someone to draw me a picture of Skuld the way I described her. If someone does, I'll definitely put it up in the images section! 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: mailto:esharpe@hsc.usc.edu
   [6]: ai1.html
   [7]: side.html



	12. Revelations with Feir

Ai Shiteru Chapter 6: Revelations

> ****
> 
> "Ai Shiteru"   
An AMG Fan Fic 
> 
> By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu. 
> 
> E-mail: [icezer230@yahoo.com][1] (C&C welcome) 
> 
> Webpage: [http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html][2]
> 
> A BUNCH OF COPYRIGHTS (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEGAL JARGON) 
> 
> This story and the characters of Rhiana, Kei, and Nao belongs to me (icezer230, a.k.a Shu). The demonic twins Morgall and Raich are a conception of Feir. The characters true to AMG are copyrighted by Kosuke Fujishima and his associates. Brett, Chia-Yao, Syliana, and the other immortals (unless mentioned otherwise) from the '[Oh! My God!][3]' fanfiction are copyrighted by Darkwind (a.k.a [Brett Handy][4]) and have been used with permission. The character of Kenji from the '[No Mere Mortal][5]' If you haven't read [chapter 1][6] AND [The Unspoken Journey][7], please read them. NOTE: You might also want to reread the last segment of The Unspoken Journey to understand the future vs present sections in this chapter. 
> 
> A LEGEND, FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.   
**=thought   
""=speech   
()=explanations   
[]=insertions/interruptions by the author! 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Skuld pondered at her situation. She was the Future--at least, ONE version of the future, barging into the body of the Past. It would be a delicate time, she knew, for both her and her past self. The Manifest. She would be having Visions, convulsions, and other anomalies of the sort. And she would be vulnerable, because the powers she knew she had invested in her was from the Future, and not the Present. That made her body very unstable. She could feel her molecules stir a bit, fizzing out from time to time. It would be time soon. 
> 
> But for now, she could only wait. Wait and see. She was in the past. The same past she had relived twice, in the hopes that she would not make the same mistake; this time, she hoped that she would have a better beginning with Kenji by deciding not to tell him about her state of being. But knowing that the past Skuld would not have known what she had known, she knew Skuld would be bound to tell Kenji before he proposed to her. And then, she would have to relive this past, trying to make a better future for herself. Again. And Again. Like a temporal paradox. 
> 
> Her eyes lit up. What if she fixed the paradox _here_? Then nothing would ever happen to her future, and everything would be all right...she hoped. If she could not be happy with Kenji, why not just tell him just that, and wipe his memory of her ever existing...? 
> 
> A day later, Future Skuld was sitting on her favorite spot on the roof (a habit acquired from one of her friends who used to do it in another dimension, long ago in the past when she had gone dimension-hopping for a second time), thinking over what she had done the day before. She had finally did it. She had finally broken up with Kenji. She could still remember his face, his expression when she told him about how she felt about him. She knew that it was right for her: the paradox she had come back into the past to fix was taken care of. 
> 
> She had hated not telling anyone--not even her sisters--that she was from the future; everyone would be asking her what it was like, what they looked like, and what happened (or would happen) in between her present and their present. She didn't like talking about it. There were obviously dire consequences to such a move; if the information fell into the wrong hands (or heard by a certain Demoness), it could cause some serious trouble in the past, which would ultimately change the timeline. _Then_ where would she be? 
> 
> She knew that she could now go back to the future when she finished her job, but the truth was, she didn't know how. She supposed it was to do with her past counterpart and her ability to go through the Manifest. Well, that was how she remembered her past, anyhow. 
> 
> But since all she was doing was waiting and hoping to hear from the Past Skuld... 
> 
> Why not make a little visit to Rhiana? If she remembered correctly, Rhiana had extended an invitation to come visit her once her 'travels' were done... 
> 
> "Some are born great;   
Some achieve greatness;   
And some have greatness thrust upon them."   
--William Shakespeare, Twelth Night 
> 
> **CHAPTER VI: REVELATIONS**
> 
> "Mistress Rhiana, there is a Goddess who wishes to see you," the humanoid assistant in strange attire informed her, lowering his head in reverence to signify her greatness. 
> 
> "Who is it?" Rhiana asked, not looking up as she was still quite busy with her paperwork regarding her latest wishes, making sure that they were fulfilled in a manner that was correct. During these few months, she had matured a little more and had cut her hair into a more fashionable style (well, according to the Japanese it was more fashionable). There seemed to be endless amounts of paperwork in her line of duty; she was practically surrounded by mountains of papers and folders. *Maybe I shouldn't have accepted that promotion…* she thought miserably. She was now in charge of the wish-granting operations, directing the other gods/goddesses who would grant the wishes in the mortal realm. *But I'd never thought it would be so much work!* she groaned inwardly. 
> 
> "It is Skuld of the Norns, mistress. She has returned from her soul-seeking journey, as you said she would," the humanoid form bowed again out of respect. The last time she had 'showed her wrath' (for the reasons why this might have occurred, see Rhiana's Interlude called '[An Innocent Wish'][8]) she had been... 
> 
> "Let her in and ask her if she would like something to drink," Rhi commanded, trying to clean up her cluttered desk a little, interrupting Jargon's train of thought. He nodded and vanished. When she had finished, Rhi straightened out her uniform and hoped she looked presentable enough for her friend. It had been what, nearly five months since they met? It was a _very_ long five months, at that. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Skuld (the Future Skuld) came into Rhiana's office moments later, still in a jeans and T-shirt attire. She had changed her shirt into another tight-fitting one but she had the same jeans on. Her prescription glasses clipped to her the top of her shirt, she walked in and saw Rhi. She smiled and trotted over to her desk. She sat down on a chair that suddenly appeared by Rhi's summons and crossed her legs into a more feminine pose. A pose that raised Rhi's eyebrows just a little. In her mind, it was and felt _very_ suggestive. 
> 
> "Wow, you sure changed a lot during those four months," Rhi remarked, looking at her up and down. *And I must admit, I'm kind of turned on by just being near her still… Damn it, why is this body doing this to me?* 
> 
> "But we both got that tan we wanted. Where'd you get yours?" Skuld asked. They soon talked about trivial matters and Skuld talked a bit about her journey. Rhi was interested in her dimensional travels as she had never actually gone dimensional hopping herself. 
> 
> "So how much standard time were you gone in dimensional travelling? I understand that it is different," Rhi remarked. 
> 
> "…About four years, Rhi. Four years is a very long time. I had the chance to think over some things," Skuld said. A moment of total silence overcame the room as the two Godesses stared at each other right in the eye. 
> 
> "So, for what reason do I owe you this visit to?" Rhi asked, a little nervous, breaking the silence. She knew Skuld hadn't come here to talk about their social life. She knew exactly what Skuld had wanted to do, which was to set things straight about their relationship: whether or not they would become more than friends. Skuld took a deep breath before she went on. 
> 
> "Rhiana, I know how you feel towards me, even before you wrote about your feelings. Your attraction, I mean," Skuld said, staring at the ground for a moment. Rhi's eyes widened in surprise. *How could she have found out?* she thought alarmingly. 
> 
> "I accidentally overheard you talking in your dreams, Rhiana, while we were in Bali. Remember that last night when you found me at the bar, drinking like there was no tomorrow? That was the night I overheard you," Skuld admitted. Rhi froze in her very position. She swallowed thickly and listened to Skuld as she continued talking. 
> 
> "At first I was mortified to have you liking me. I didn't know what to do about it. So I travelled around the world and went dimensional hopping with these confused feelings still in me. There was this dimension I went to where…those kinds of relationships were normal. 
> 
> I know that it is tolerated in Heaven and stuff, but I've never really actually seen the complications that went along with it. I realized that you weren't transferred out of the sector, Rhiana. You _asked_ to be transferred. Kami-sama wouldn't have done that to you, and I knew you really liked your job, but I didn't know why you would ever transfer from it then… I'm sorry, Rhi. I really am, for all the trouble I've caused you," Skuld said, pausing for a moment. 
> 
> "So what are you trying to tell me, Skuld?" Rhi asked quietly. This was the very moment of truth. She knew that Skuld's answer would decide her life. She could feel her heart pounding excitedly, so she leaned back in her chair and quietly awaited the verdict. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Urd, have you seen Skuld? It's not like her to miss ice-cream," Belldandy asked her older sister worriedly. 
> 
> "She's changed so much I don't really know whether or not she still likes ice-cream still or not," Urd sighed, polishing off her own bowl of ice-cream. As a welcome-back gift, Keiichi had gone to Skuld's favorite ice-cream shop and brought home a large amount of vanilla ice cream. After all, Skuld's return meant that a celebration was needed. 
> 
> "Do you know where she is, though?" Keiichi said, still eating his portion of ice cream. He looked up from the newspapers he was reading aside from eating his ice cream and stared at the eldest of the three sisters. 
> 
> "Yes, I know where she is. She's talking to Rhiana about some things," Urd replied quickly. Her thoughts went to last night and their talk about her relationships. 
> 
> "Skuld, I know you're hiding something from me. Something happened in those travels that you wouldn't tell Belldandy or me. I can feel the hesitation in you. I saw it on your face. Tell me about it. We're both adults, aren't we?" Urd asked as she sat on the floor next to her in Skuld's room that night. 
> 
> "I am? The last time you saw me you thought that I was still a little brat," Skuld replied sarcastically, trying to stall some time. She was in no mood to talk to Urd tonight. Too many things to do, and so little time to do it. *Has the paradox finally been fixed?* she thought to herself. It wasn't an easy task to reject Kenji but it was better her rejecting him than him rejecting her...like he did, then. 
> 
> "Don't play those games with me, Skuld. I'm serious. What actually happened while you were away that could have caused you to reject Kenji? I don't understand it," Urd snapped. *Damn it, why can't you leave me alone?* Skuld thought. She sighed and took a deep breath before she went on. 
> 
> "Urd, do you remember that disease I had before I left on my travels?" Skuld said, swallowing thickly. *This isn't the best way to do it, I know. She'll find out sooner or later, so I might as well go for a lie...It's easier for her then* Skuld thought. Urd froze. *I don't like the sound of this* Urd thought. 
> 
> "Yes?" Urd said anyway. 
> 
> "I…I met Washu during my travels and she remarked something about it, how it would affect my body. Urd, I don't have much time left. The bugs I've been exposed to have mutated and are feeding off my cells like parasites and at multiple speeds when they reproduce. 
> 
> There's no known cure for it at the moment. Washu's working off her brains trying to slow it down, but I don't think it's possible…" she said, her head bent low. A solid tear dropped on her jeans as she curled up into a ball. *I hope Urd still falls for this trick* Skuld thought. She didn't like lying to her sister at all but it was the only way to let her carry out her job while her past counterpart fought her own devils. She had taken over Skuld's body in an attempt to fix her paradox but in reality, it was something she had to do so the Past Skuld could face her own devils in the Manifest. 
> 
> Urd stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to do. Her tears were flowing already, unable to stop. She tried to say something, but her jaws would not work. She found, however, that her arms and legs could, and soon hugged her from behind, like a protective layer of cocoon, as they cried on through the night. And then, the final bomb was dropped. 
> 
> "Did you know Rhiana was bisexual?" Skuld had stated as a matter-of-factly out of nowhere. Urd looked shocked for a minute but recovered, wondering whether or not the she had an attraction for… *No way* she thought. She must have said it aloud because Skuld had nodded and looked away. 
> 
> "Well?" Urd asked, still impatient for Skuld's answer. 
> 
> "I'm going to see her tomorrow...and talk things out with her," she said. 
> 
> "What are you going to say?" 
> 
> "I...I can't tell you that." 
> 
> "Why not?" 
> 
> "I just can't." Urd nodded and had left then, leaving Skuld to think things out for herself. Her thoughts went back to the present, however, as Kenji asked her what about what kind of things. She looked into her ice cream cup as she said this. 
> 
> "You know, girl stuff." And left it at that. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Kenji, I don't see you moaning and groaning about how Skuld doesn't love you anymore recently. What happened?" Kenji's mother asked, grinning. *So they're boyfriend-girlfriend now, huh?* 
> 
> "Mom, I seriously don't know who and what you're talking about. Why are you saying it like the person's my girlfriend or something?" Kenji asked, annoyed at another of his mother's attempts of guessing on his love life. *Who was this _Skuld_ person?* he thought. 
> 
> "Kenji, you were just telling me about her the other day to me. The last time you mentioned her, you had received a phone call from a young lady named Belldandy and your rushed to where she lived, but you didn't tell me anything when you got back. You said Skuld was Keiichi's girlfriend's sister and that you liked her a lot," Kenji's mother replied, confused at her son's sudden denial. 
> 
> "Mom, I don't remember a Skuld while I was in Keiichi's temple, but I do remember this really beautiful woman at the temple. He introduced her as his girlfriend. Keiichi sure _is_ one lucky guy!" Kenji said, sighing as he climbed up the stairs. *I think Mom's gone nuts* he thought. 
> 
> With that, he disappeared. His mother was left to ponder whether or not her many conversations with him about Skuld had happened or whether or not he was just making it up. Frowning, she was determined to find out herself. Grabbing her car keys, she opened the door and slammed it shut. A few moments later, sounds of a car being started and driving away could be heard. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "Rhiana...I-GURK!" Skuld said, doubling over in pain. Flashes of memories--both painful and happy--both of which happened before and has not yet happened--flashed through her mind. She felt lots of Pain. Strong bouts of Anger. No small amount of Frustration. And finally, overwhelming Confusion. Her mind blacked out, although her body still convulsed uncontrollably. 
> 
> "Skuld!" Rhiana exlaimed, rushing to help her. She summoned Jargon. 
> 
> "Yes, Mistress Rhiana?" 
> 
> "Get my brother here, fast! Skuld-" 
> 
> "I'll do my best to pry him away from his current duties." A brilliant flash of light followed as he vanished, and returned only moments later with Aska, Rhiana's brother, who looked rather weary. 
> 
> "What's happening to her, Aska?" Rhi asked her brother in a demanding tone. 
> 
> "I've never seen anything like this...but...hey, isn't this Urd's little sister?" he asked, recognizing the facial features of the goddess. *She sure's changed since the last time I saw her...* 
> 
> "Yes! Help her! Do something!" Rhi said, almost panicking. If this continued, she would go into shock. *That wouldn't help at all* he thought and used a calming spell on Rhi. Then, he turned his attention to Skuld, whose eyelids fluttered widely as if undergoing through some mental torment while dreaming away. 
> 
> "I...Oh Great One! She's...not actually Skuld. She's a temporal version of her. Which means...Skuld is somewhere in the future...and her body here is going through the Manifest. I think it's something to do with a future temporal copy being in the past. I...I don't know what to do! Nothing like this has ever happened before!" Aska said in a worried tone after conducting a scanning spell. 
> 
> "You mean..." Rhi said in a worried but more relaxed tone, grateful for her brother's insight. 
> 
> "She'll have to cold cut it. We've got to restrain her and keep her for more observations in the med section. The only thing we can do is wait and see what turns up. We should tell her sisters though...they'll be worried sick about her." 
> 
> "I'll get Jargon to go get them now-" she said, before being interrupted by a familiar sensuous voice, as if on cue. 
> 
> "Hey, people...Long time no see...Skuld!?" Urd's voice exclaimed, seeing her sister's unconscious but still moving voice. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> Belldandy left her station at the kitchen where she was making some tea for herself when she heard the doorbell. It was kind of strange when Urd and Skuld was still nowhere to be found, but she trusted them enough to not get into _too_ much trouble. *I suppose that's one of them coming back* she thought. 
> 
> "Welcome...Oh! Hello," Belldandy said, surprised that an unknown and yet determined-looking woman was at the temple door. 
> 
> "Excuse me, is this the residence of Morisato Keiichi?" the woman asked politely. *I wonder who this foreigner is* she thought. *Is this the woman Kenji told me was Keiichi's girlfriend? She certainly looks friendly enough. I wonder whether or not Keiichi's parents know who she is...* 
> 
> "Yes it is, but he is not here right now. He should be back in about five or ten minutes. Would you care to come in?" Belldandy asked. She didn't know who this woman was but she wouldn't deny her the hospitality of her home. 
> 
> "Thank you very much, but I don't know whether or not Keiichi-san can help me, miss...?" the woman inquired. 
> 
> "My name is Belldandy. I am Keiichi's girlfriend. And you are...?" Belldandy asked. 
> 
> "My name is also Morisato, Belldandy-san. I believe you know my son, Kenji? He has been here for frequent visits lately but recently he does not seem to be himself," Kenji's mom said as she went inside the temple following Belldandy. After depositing Kenji's mom at the living room, Belldandy excused herself to get some tea from the kitchen. This allowed Belldandy time to think about her actions. When she got back, she smiled and sat down on a cushion on the opposite side of the table. 
> 
> "Ara...Yes, I know Kenji-san quite well. Keiichi is quite fond of him," Belldandy said carefully with her trained smile. *Skuld, I hope you come back fast. I certainly don't want to handle _this_ problem!* 
> 
> "My son mentioned a girl named Skuld, who I am led to believe is your sister, is it not?" the woman asked, carefully watching Belldandy's face. She noticed a certain tightening of the jaws but nothing else. *Um...this is kind of scary, Skuld! Where are you when I need you!?* Belldandy thought, cornered for the first time in her life. She decided to make a decision, right there and then. She hoped she was making the right one. 
> 
> "Would you like to come in for a minute?" she asked. 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> A drop of water descends on the surface. Waves ripple, in rhythm, through the clear blue liquid. Warm. Soothing. A transparent being rises out of the water, beckoning me. I feel strangely drawn to it, and somehow make my way to it, although I've never learnt how. 
> 
> -_Who are you?_- 
> 
> _Who are _you_?_
> 
> -_Where am I?_- 
> 
> _Where are all of us? _
> 
> -_What is this place?_- 
> 
> _What are all of these places?_
> 
> -_Am I still alive?_- 
> 
> _Are all of us?_
> 
> -_This place...that voice...I've seen this before._- 
> 
> _We've all seen it before._
> 
> -_The Manifest..._- 
> 
> _Your manifest..._
> 
> -_What does this mean?_- 
> 
> _What does everything mean?_
> 
> -_It is my end, then? And her beginning?_- 
> 
> _Whose end and whose beginning? How can you tell?_
> 
> -_You evade everything I say and answer with riddles. Answer me: Is it time?_- 
> 
> _You, on the other hand, evade your problems and shall answer with pain... _
> 
> It is no matter, for it is time. 
> 
> She comes... 
> 
> ***** 
> 
> "You all remember your own manifests, of course?" Aska asked Rhiana and Urd. The eerie silence gave him reason to continue. "Then you well know what sort of trials she is going through...Unfortunately, the manifest is occurring at a level where she is too young...This may lead to unforseen events in the near future." 
> 
> "What do you mean, unforseen events?" Urd asked. At the back of her mind, she wondered whether Brett's fainting earlier on could have been caused by this. He still hadn't woken up yet when she had last saw him. *His mind must be overloaded by this paradox, just by seeing her!* she thought. 
> 
> "If you do not know yet, this is a future template residing in Skuld's past body, fully equiped with her powers and knowledge, having undergone the Manifest already. Nothing would have happened had there had not been a Mental transfer fo the two templates instead of a physical transfer...but I think the actual force of returning these two mental states to their proper places in the timeline requires...a bonding, a mixing of the two minds...and that's why unforseen things are currently happening to them. The Future Skuld is presently waiting at the Edge of the Manifest, as she should, for Her to come-" 
> 
> "Her?" Rhiana interrupted. 
> 
> "The Past Skuld, which is currently residing in the future template's body. It is possible that the two will black out from time to time until they meet at the gates and enter their test together." 
> 
> "But that's nearly almost impossible! No immortal has ever done something like this before! This means..." Urd thought. 
> 
> "Yes, at this time, her body is at its most vulnerable position, worse than a mortal would...if anything attempts to enter her mind at this stage...Let's just say that our Future will be in grave danger, for He who Controls Skuld Controls the Future." 
> 
> "And so you are right." 
> 
> The lights dimmed before anyone could react, replaced with a soft, washed-out glow of color that hovered in the center of the chamber, gradually taking shape. Forming a tight circle, the three immortals watched warily as the outline of sphere began to appear. 
> 
> "What is it?" Urd asked. 
> 
> "Warp bubble," Rhiana replied, voice strained. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. That voice... "Last I heard, those were still being tested --" 
> 
> With a muted 'pop', the warp bubble completed its materialisation and gently descended, the outlines of two humanoid figures crouching behind the semitransparent membrane in a clear state of expectancy. As soon as the sphere made contact with the ground, the first of the sphere's occupants emerged; a deceptively frail collection of rune-encrusted rags with two flame-red pupils glowing beneath a heavy cowl. The fires in his eyes danced as he moved; flickering ever so slightly. 
> 
> And beside him, stooping slightly as he pushed through the layer of energy-- 
> 
> "Jargon?" 
> 
> "Fate moves in strange ways, doesn't it?" the hooded figure remarked, throwing back its cowl to reveal Loki's face, bearded and smiling in the universal language of triumphant arrogance. Jargon's expression was unreadable. 
> 
> "Loki!" Urd snapped imperiously. "What is the meaning of this?" 
> 
> The god gave a dismissive wave with one hand. "I think my intentions are fairly clear. Jargon?" 
> 
> Head still bowed, Jargon tapped a few buttons on his controller; out of nowhere, three more warp bubbles flickered into being, encapsulating the small group of immortals. 
> 
> "Don't waste your time," Jargon announced in a hollow voice as the goddesses attempted to blast free of their confinement with spells and summoned weapons. "Those bubbles are one-way permeable only. The only way to get out of those is the master controller here--" He indicated the small black box. "--which you aren't getting to anytime soon." Noticing Rhiana's outraged expression, he added, "My apologies, Mistress Rhiana." 
> 
> "Damn you! All this time, I trusted you...How could you do something like this!?" Rhiana demanded; inwardly cursing herself for not putting the pieces together sooner. That false assignment that had led to her first encounter with the Gillain twins Raich and Morgall could have only been created by someone with close access to her files -- and as her assistant, Jargon was the only one had the capacity and know-how to make the ruse work. And then there was the question of Kenji's capture by the demons... 
> 
> "I am bound to promise, as all of us are..." At this, the servant's head dipped fractionally. "And I made a promise long ago to serve him as I would all immortals -- in exchange to see a loved one..." 
> 
> "That was your price... for helping bring about Ragnarok?" Aska asked incredulously. 
> 
> "My great masterplan," Loki nodded. "Ragnarok -- Armageddon -- the Apocalypse. Whatever you call it... it begins now. Jargon -- the heart!" 
> 
> Still cringing, the servant pulled a small but sharp dagger from his belt and approached the bubble trapping Rhiana, expression growing more and more apologetic with every step. Finally, they stood face to face. 
> 
> "You realise what's going to happen if you take that heart out of my body, don't you?" Rhiana said. 
> 
> "Yes. You will die. And the world as we know it will come to an end." Jargon's face took on an almost puppyish quality. "If it's any consolation to you... you always were my best mistress. I'll remember that, no matter what." 
> 
> "Good show," Loki remarked wryly. "Now do what I have commanded. No more delays." 
> 
> Jargon averted his face as the knife punctured the warp bubble, a little mewling noise rising up in his throat as Rhiana dropped to her knees, staring at the humanoid in blank horror. The wound expanded almost immediately, fountaining a stream of hot liquid energy that splashed into Rhiana's bare skin with all the immediacy of boiling acid. Staggering to her feet, the Valkyrie had barely regained her balance when Jargon's hands were already inside her chest, grasping, tearing, pulling until the energy sphere she had stolen from Raich popped free. Urd and Aska were visibly shaken by the display; Loki delighted, his grin glittering like frozen malice in the iight of the heart's energy. 
> 
> The demon heart ascended lazily, distorting its surroundings as it went, hovering under the watchful eyes of the immortals. Neither Loki nor Jargon seemed to be in any particular hurry to claim their prize, however - the small ball of power remained in its place, casting its wild light in a steady, throbbing pulse. 
> 
> "What...what's going on? What are they waiting for?" Aska whispered to Urd. 
> 
> Before the other goddess could reply, the mystery solved itself in an explosion of blue sparks. Standing in the center of the fading glow were two black-clad, dark-haired demons with expressions of barely-contained rage. The female of the pair clutched a wicked-looking broadsword, the male a deceptively thin whip; and neither of them looked as if they would hesitate for a moment to use them. 
> 
> "We've come to reclaim what is rightfully ours," the demons announced in unison. 
> 
> "Raich's heart is mine now," Loki replied coldly. "You're wasting your time." 
> 
> Morgall glared at the god with barely disguised contempt. "We had a deal, Loki." 
> 
> "One which you and your dear brother failed to live up to, despite my generous assistance in the matter. As far as I'm concerned, we're even." 
> 
> The male stalked towards his former employer, face a death-mask in the shadows cast by the hovering heart. "As far as I'm concerned, Trickster, I'll be prying that heart from your cold, *dead* fingers in a minute..." 
> 
> "I'm getting sick of your posturing," Loki announced, snatching the demonic power source out of the air with one fluid movement. "Come to me, Jargon." 
> 
> Raich moved to intervene, but without warning, two warp bubbles wrapped themselves around the Gillains, leaving them as trapped as their immortal counterparts. 
> 
> "I think after poor Rhiana's ordeal, a little light entertainment is in order. I propose a challenge - the two of you against my champion here." Jargon looked up at the trickster god with equal parts surprise and disgust. Even with their powers drastically reduced, the demons were more than capable of tearing him from limb to limb without breaking into a sweat. Was Loki seriously intending to gamble with the demon heart? "Should you win, you get back your precious heart. Otherwise...I get two for the price of one." 
> 
> "Accepted." Morgall spat. "Now release us." 
> 
> "In a moment, dear. Jargon?" 
> 
> Jargon warily approached his master, trying to find some reason in those dancing-flame pupils. At this distance, Loki's eyes were almost hypnotic, drawing him in slowly, one step at a time until he became aware of the hot, burning pain in his chest. Hazily, he looked down and saw the gaping hole that had been punched in his body, spilling out light in short, rhythmatic bursts. Already, the wound was starting to regenerate. 
> 
> "Now we can begin." 
> 
> The summoning action was almost instinctive - he only had to imagine an object, attempt to visualise the feel and weight of it in his mind before his thoughts were replaced with reality. The rush of his newfound power was such that Jargon didn't notice the twins' approach until the sting of Raich's whip caught him square in the face. 
> 
> The twins moved as a single entity; actions synchronised by years of experience fighting together. Time and again, Raich's whip snapped out, wrapping around Jargon's fighting arm and pulling it into a vulnerable position for Morgall's sword-strikes. Time and again, the servant dropped into a howling ball, swiping out blindly with a dagger or sword in great clusmy strokes that the demons sidestepped with arrogant ease. As the uneven contest progressed, it was clear that Jargon's inexperience with his new powers was rapidly becoming fatal. Only his regenerative powers kept him in the fight. 
> 
> "Somehow, I would have expected more of the Trickster God's champion," Morgall laughed as another desperate slash from Jargon failed to find its mark. "I'm getting tired of this farce." 
> 
> "Time to finish it off," Raich agreed, his whip already fading away as the outlines of a new weapon began to take shape. 
> 
> "Do you think Loki would really let those demons win?" Urd asked as the two Gillains darted around their target, pouring the combined energies into a single summoning. 
> 
> "He needs both hearts if he wants to go through with his plans." Aska watched the weapon taking shape in the center of the chamber with growing apprehension. "And I don't think he'd be willing to gamble with those kinds of stakes. He's got something up his sleeve." 
> 
> Two six-foot staves now hung in the air above the battleground; each carved of solid black wood and carved with writhing, serpentine runes that slithered their way across the polished surface in eye-watering patterns. 
> 
> "Behold," Raich announced, leaping over one of Jargon's sword-strokes to grasp at one of the staves as his sister mirrored the action. "The Twin Staves of Meggido!" 
> 
> Both twins brought their weapons down at the same time; the wood crackling with malignant energy as it bore home. Jargon leapt aside with only inches to spare, wincing as a powerful blast of dark electricity earthed itself in the chamber's floor, leaving a shallow crater in its wake. 
> 
> *That's what I need right now,* the servant thought bitterly. *Some kind of ultimate weapon...* 
> 
> Suddenly, his hands were gripping polished metal, acutely aware of the demons' laughter ringing in his ears. 
> 
> "Look, sis...a peashooter," he heard Raich remark from somewhere above. Very cautiously, he lifted up the weapon he now found himself holding and managed a shameful blush. It wasn't impressive by a long shot. It was a small, compact pistol; little more than a rod with trigger and sight. The barrel didn't even have an opening to it - it was just a solid cylinder. 
> 
> "How pathetic is that?" Morgall sighed, lifting up her staff to strike the killing blow. "An insult to our powers..." 
> 
> Jargon sighted the weapon hopelessly. How could it even fire? Was there even ammunition? Too late to worry about that now -- only enough time to pull the trigger. As Raich entered the crosshairs, Jargon fired. 
> 
> For a long moment, there was nothing. Jargon waited for the inevitable killing blow, but there was only the shriek of rage and surprise from the male demon. When the servant finally dared to look, he saw that through Raich's chest poked an exact replica of Rhiana's crystal sword. The mortally wounded demon gave his attacker one last accusing stare before keeling over, the glow of his heart gradually growing weaker and weaker. Morgall stood transfixed, barely registering Jargon's movement until the humanoid had caught her in the crosshairs as well. Realisation dawned a moment too late; attempting to dart out of the way, she found a tar-encrusted skeleton blocking her way. One whale-sized rib bone skewered her almost instantly. 
> 
> Jargon numbly watched as the weapon faded, its work done for the day. Without the adrenaline coursing through his system, he became painfully aware of the toll the battle had taken on him - and of Loki's hands, once again entering his chest to remove the power source. Overhead, the two Gillains' hearts made an erratic orbit above their owners' bodies; released by Loki's magic, they slowly moved closer and closer togehter. 
> 
> "Please...just a little longer." 
> 
> "There's not enough time, Jargon." Loki sighed, mock-sadly before casting the complete heart between the two broken halves, spinning in tighter and tighter loops as they moved to fuse. "Your service to me, however, is done. I release you of your oath to me." 
> 
> Jargon sank to his knees, teeth bared as a dozen wounds added their weight to the growing pool of life on the floor. "I think you're forgetting something, Loki." 
> 
> "Perhaps. It's a pity you won't be alive much longer to remind me of it." 
> 
> Smiling grimly, the servant pulled a small black box from his robes. "Yes, but...I'm still the one with the finger on the controls." 
> 
> Urd realised what was happening a moment before Loki did; the second the bubble encasing her started rising into the air, she was already bracing for the impact. But the god was amply prepared; simply ducking out of the way of rogue energy sphere, he raised his left hand a fraction of an inch. The bubble began to slow down, gradually shuddering to a halt in the center of the chamber under Loki's control. He gave his former champion a condescending look. 
> 
> "A spirited attempt... but not good enough." 
> 
> "Didn't...need to be." Jargon coughed viciously, a trickle of red escaping his lips. "Just needed you out of the way long enough for..." 
> 
> "For...?" Loki asked mockingly. The servant didn't reply. "Ah, what a pity. The lead actor in our fine little revenge drama seems to have died before he could finish the play." Walking closer to Urd's stationary bubble, he gave the shell-shocked goddess a cold smile. "And now, for our feature presentation..." 
> 
> The blow came out of nowhere; more painful for its sheer mass than from the bubble's sluggish acceleration as it plowed through the Trickster God. Loki collapsed gracelessly, concentration breaking just for a fraction of a second-- 
> 
> In the center of the room, the three hearts broke orbit suddenly, dipping into a dangerous spiral. The two halves collided noisily, fusing in a spectacular display of sound and light that obliterated everything in its reach with all-consuming white energy. When the blast cleared, Rhiana and the demons were gone. 
> 
> "Rhiana!" 
> 
> Seeing the mocking grin on Jargon's corpse, Loki short-handedly vaporised the servant's body with a single bolt of energy. His own expression was nothing short of furious. 
> 
> "That fool," he hissed, stabilising the newly-formed heart's rotations once again. "He could have destroyed us all!" 
> 
> Urd watched in fascination and horror as the two power sources moved to become one; eyes still hurting from the after-effects of the explosion. If the destructive energies of the divided heart were only a fraction as potent as those wielded by the hearts combined, Loki would be unstoppable. 
> 
> The final fusion seemed almost like an anticlimax after the build-up; there was no sound, nothing except two balls of energy gradually melting into one pulsating sphere. Loki then approached the prone figure of Skuld, tranquilised and still, caressing her face slowly before breaking away. He smiled darkly and looked up to gaze at Urd, who looked absolutely horrified at the thought of what was going to happen next. Kissing the young goddess on the lips with almost reverent care, he began reciting the lines that would seal his power forever... 
> 
> *****   
'Till next time, au revoir! 
> 
> **FOOTNOTES**
> 
> Final comments!: Sorry to end it like this, but I promise you more fun and excitement in the next chapter! This chapter was redone, with several revisions, in order to fit better with the interludes (which were written after the original Chapter 6). I hope you like the final outcome. Kudos to Feir and Brett for all their feedback--I really appreciate it. If anyone wants to do fanart or spin-offs, you're more than welcome...icezer230 (31/03/00) 
> 
> Version 1.0: Released 31/03/00   
Version 2.0: Released 28/05/00 (significant addition in last few scenes with Feir's help) 

   [1]: mailto:icezer230@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
   [3]: http://www.ozanime.com/
   [4]: mailto:darkwnd@sv.net.au
   [5]: http://home.earthlink.net/~esharpe/table.of.contents.html
   [6]: ai1.html
   [7]: journey.html
   [8]: doth.html



	13. The Inner Self, Crying Out

**Ai Shiteru Chapter 7: The Inner Self, Crying out**   
An Aa! My Goddess fanfic (Kosuke Fujishima)   
© 2002 By icezer230 (icezer230@yahoo.com)   
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html 

Based on the works of Brett Handy and Ed Sharpe. For disclaimers, see chapter 1. For posting elsewhere (or the borrowing of characters), just ask and ye shall receive. 

***** 

"I had watched moon after moon after moon go by, when finally I dreamed the evil dream which ripped away the veil that hid my future."   
--Dante: The Divine Comedy Vol 1, Canto XXXIII lines 25-27 (Mark Musa) 

***** 

Regal. 

Skuld thought that it was the best word to describe her approaching movements: silent, graceful, careful and precise. Her very presence commanded respect. She created an awed atmosphere of silence that strangely did not lead to the usual awkwardness, for it felt as if they knew each other, from long past. A strange feeling of deja-vu resurfaced, although she could not place where she had done this before, or who the woman was. Strange isn't it, for someone who has perfect memory. An immortal even. Then, 

Come. 

Skuld did not hear it coming from the woman. She did not see the woman's mouth open to utter the word either. But she knew it came from the woman, and she approached her without question. When they were about two meters apart, the woman raised her hand and a mirror appeared, although the image in the mirror did not wear the same clothes, did not have the same hair, did not have the same appearance. Her eyes widened, not understanding. The image in the mirror did the same, before they both turned towards the woman. 

You are one and the same, and yet you are not. Do you understand...? 

Skuld realized that her mirror image was wearing what she would have worn in the future, had she further explored her relationship with Kenji, in that horribly twisted future she only had a glimpse of: the one that could have been. The dark images were etched into her mind, and haunted her still. The mirror image seemed to grasp the idea faster than she did, and both looked to the woman once more. 

You are about to partake the Manifest. The Manifest occurs to all immortals, both old and young, both strong and weak. It is not a test of endurance, but a test of will. It is not for those of the weak-willed; those who are of such nature, will surely perish. It is no great loss. There are others who will take their place. But most immortals take it only once during their lifetime. That is usually enough in order to ordain these immortals a gift of powers and the ability to use them to suit their own purposes. 

But you...you are different. The Manifest will be as if it never parts with you. It lays dormant until now, because you must fully mature and develop your physical attributes before you can attain your full power. Death will not come to one such as yourself; not even an immortal will kill you, not even when you want to do so yourself. As there is only one Goddess of the Future, there is no other Goddess of the Present, nor Goddess of the Past. Only a rebirth shall occur, during the times when your abilities are weak and decisions questionable to many. 

Your sisters, while they have also taken the Manifest, have not realized their full potential. Such secrets are better left unknown. You are the only one who has the right to know everything, for among your sisters, your own duty is the most important. Your well being ensures the well-being of the future and the direction in which both mortals and immortals shall undertake. 

And for such a task, your manifest, your test, shall be the hardest of tests. If you fail, another cycle of rebirth shall occur, and reality shall evolve around you as if you were always a newborn. 

Is there any other way, she asked? She was beginning to feel the fear overcome her senses. 

Sadly, the woman said, in that ever-ethereal tone of hers, there is no other way... 

...There was a momentary silence, before a magnificent hallway appeared after the woman. At the end of the hallway, there was a small nondescript-looking door. 

I can only lead you to the door, she said. You will have to go through this yourself... 

There was nothing to do but to open it, and go through it. She saw her other self walking through the door, quickly and determinedly. 

***** 

Belldandy had been preparing the snacks and the green tea for Kenji's mother in the kitchen when she felt something strike her in the heart, a small pain that nearly made her drop the tray. But she had not hurt herself; therefore, there could only be one explanation. One of her sisters (or both, as she couldn't tell) was in dire trouble, and somehow could not rely on their powers to contact her. 

"Oh, my..." she gasped, putting down the tray on the kitchen cabinet and hurried out. 

Kenji's mother, realizing that there was something worrying Belldandy, wondered, "Is there something wrong, Belldandy-san?" 

"I just realized something, Morisato-san...You _must_ be feeling a little tired after the long trip here...would you like to take a little rest in the guest room? I'm sure Keiichi-san wouldn't mind," Belldandy suggested, the symbol on her forehead gleaming a bit. As if in cue, Kenji's mother started to yawn and her eyes drooped. 

"I-I...suppose I could do with a little rest...but I don't like to impose..." she said, before her head flopped on the table. 

"I'm sorry, Morisato-san, but...I'm afraid there are other matters that require my immediate attention...Oh, Keiichi!" Belldandy suddenly realized. She had to tell him about what was going on. *No more notes and disappearing off to Heaven for chats* she mused, after what had happened the last time. Although Keiichi had not complained out loud, she knew he had kept his feelings about that time to himself, not wanting to start the first battle between the two. 

She hurried to the nearest mirror. 

Keiichi! 

***** 

Chia-Yao had been nervously tinkering with one of his many experimental projects after the phone-call from Belldandy, losing track of time, when he realized that there was a brilliant flash of light outside the door. Curious as he was, he peeked out the eyehole but didn't see anyone, but opened the door (which swung inward) anyway, just in case he could catch a glimpse of who- 

He definitely did not expect to find Rhiana breathing heavily on the floor, near death, a gaping wound in her chest, and the bodies of two unknown persons. On closer inspection, it seemed like they were demons...their auras leaked of it, and it was already dissipating into the air. He grimaced. 

"Shit," he spat, as he searched the room and grabbed the closest and cleanest rag that he could find and pressed it to her wound to slow down the rate at which the fluids were being lost. She managed to open her eyes briefly, look at him gratefully, and whisper to him, "Skuld and Urd...taken. Loki's behind all this...Hurry...They're with Aska..." 

His eyes widened as he contemplated what this meant. Then, broke into a run in order to reach his work console station where he immediately announced, "Emergency; Emergency. Break-ins, break-outs, imminent. Secure all entrances, all exits, and security? Get ready to rock. This is NOT a drill; repeat, this is NOT a drill. Priority calling: Belldandy and all unrestricted class and level A personnel to battle. 5 minutes." 

He came directly back at her, carrying a first aid kit, while she attempted to tell him all she knew about what was going on...he listened with a grim heart, realizing that they were probably too late to stop whatever ritual Loki had in mind, but that perhaps they could stop him from getting out of the immortal realm. 

"Chia-Yao...one last thing...get the mortal named Kenji...Morisato Kenji...he's involved in all this too. He knows some of what has happened..." she managed to say before losing consciousness. 

At Kenji's name, Chia-Yao nearly snarled out loud in anger. It took him a moment for him to lay her down on more comfortable bedding before storming off and crumpling the project he was working on with all his immortal strength. Whatever it was supposed to be, it was now a tiny mesh ball of unusable metal and wires. 

"Fuck!" he roared, knowing that she was right, and that he was unable to do a thing about it. 

***** 

It was an elegantly decorated room, with tasteful and comfortable decorations and furnishings, like something she might have wanted to get had she had spent a few years' worth of effort on her pocket dimension. She looked over her shoulder; the door was gone, and there were no other doors. No visible windows, and no other person save her other self. Though...there was some sort of music drifting through, and the slightest whisper of voices. 

She strained to hear them, wondering what they were about, who they were about, and why they existed in this space. She saw that the other Skuld had sat herself on one of the chairs of a small table, and gestured for her to do the same. 

"Who are you?" she asked. 

"It matters not who I am, but what I can do, for you. This manifest was to be for you, and I am the one to impart the gift of knowledge...so do it. Finish your task," she said, in a neutral tone, lifting a small knife out of the back of her uniform. 

"What?" she asked, not understanding. 

"Kill me," the other Skuld said in a matter of fact way. 

"But..." she protested, still in shock. The other Skuld grabbed the knife and pressed the blade into her hand, cutting into her palm a little from the sharpness of it. A red drop or two fell on the table, the red on white a stark contrast. 

"Do it!" she yelled, and then stood, making her chair fall back. "What, can't do it? It'll be fun...I mean, why not...that's the only way you're going to regain consciousness. And why wouldn't you want to regain consciousness? Don't you want to save the world?" 

A remote suddenly appeared in her hand and she flicked a switch, revealing a TV in a corner she hadn't noticed before. 

["My great masterplan," Loki nodded. "Ragnarok -- Armageddon -- the Apocalypse. Whatever you call it... it begins now. Jargon -- the heart!" 

Still cringing, the servant pulled a small but sharp dagger from his belt and approached the bubble trapping Rhiana, expression growing more and more apologetic with every step. Finally, they stood face to face. 

"You realise what's going to happen if you take that heart out of my body, don't you?" Rhiana said. 

"Yes. You will die. And the world as we know it will come to an end." Jargon's face took on an almost puppyish quality. "If it's any consolation to you... you always were my best mistress. I'll remember that, no matter what." 

"Good show," Loki remarked wryly. "Now do what I have commanded. No more delays." 

Jargon averted his face as the knife punctured the warp bubble, a little mewling noise rising up in his throat as Rhiana dropped to her knees, staring at the humanoid in blank horror. The wound expanded almost immediately, fountaining a stream of hot liquid energy that splashed into Rhiana's bare skin with all the immediacy of boiling acid. Staggering to her feet, the Valkyrie had barely regained her balance when Jargon's hands were already inside her chest, grasping, tearing, pulling until the energy sphere she had stolen from Raich popped free. Urd and Aska were visibly shaken by the display; Loki delighted, his grin glittering like frozen malice in the iight of the heart's energy.] 

"Noooo!" she screamed, putting her hands to her mouth, tears running down her face as she saw Rhiana being hurt. At this, the other Skuld flicked the TV off, and semi-hugged the other Skuld. 

"Poor baby," she cooed. And then, within a blink of an eye, the blade was pressed to Skuld's throat. "If you don't want to kill me, then I guess I'll have to kill you, won't I...after all, only one of us gets to get out of this room alive..." 

***** 

It was like a bad dream, except that it wasn't, because she couldn't wake up. The blade pressed into her even more, and the grip was sure, and steady. *What to do, what to-Hah!* 

She elbowed the other Skuld in the stomach into releasing her, who gave an 'oof!' as an answer before managing to recover. Luckily, she managed to get away to the other side of the room. The other Skuld didn't seem to be in a hurry, however, and just said, "Well, well. Apparently...you're not a quitter at all. Good for you, bad for me." 

"Does it have to be like this?" she asked, as they continued to circle around each other. 

"Before...when you asked me who I was...do you still want to know the answer?" she asked. 

"I guess it depends...will I want to?" she replied, glibly, as she eyed the shiny surface of the blade. Her palm still stung a little. 

"Stings doesn't it," the other Skuld drawled, noticing the way she was gingerly protecting the palm. "Hm...wonder if someone put a little something to it...It would be unfair, wouldn't it...But then, what's life, but a jumble of unpredictable affairs? Shit happens." 

The other Skuld paused, for just a moment. And looked into the blade, into the reflection it cast upon herself. She smiled bitterly, and caressed it, almost longingly. She didn't look...sane, at all. 

"Shit _fucking_ happens, you know? And there's nothing you can do to stop it. It's like the moment before you realize that the lights had changed and there's a car about to hit you, you know? And you freeze, like a deer in the headlights? I probably know that particular moment better than anyone else. I realize that it was a statement made by a mortal--and, what do mortals know, that we immortals don't--but...for some reason...that just happens to describe the life that I've had to lead for the past 5 years, to the exact tee. 

And it bothers me, you know? I figured...why should I bother living in the future, when I can return to the past, and fight to live it over again? You see, I was once the epitome of immortal genius; you. Yeah, you. And somehow, I managed to lollygag myself into thinking; even believing that I could live for myself, just because I lived amongst the mortals for a few measly years. I mean, how selfish is that, living for yourself. I mean, you're a fucking goddess! How can you live for yourself?...I mean, you saw what happened in the alley, didn't you?...Didn't you..." she repeated her last words, softly, almost accusingly. Her words made Skuld's mind spin. *The Alley? What-* The gang-rape. She gasped in recognition. 

"N-No...That didn't happen! None of that did! It was just the machine! Just a dream! Just a-" Skuld shook her head, retreating, before being cut off by the other Skuld. 

"To you, maybe, it was just a dream. It could very well happen, you know. And you know what? It did. To me. And _that's_ what happens when you try to live for yourself; you have to contend with fate, and chance. And they don't care that you were a goddess before, in fact, they probably think that you deserve it. That we deserved it. Like fallen angels, you know? 

All this...mess...because I had forgone the Manifest; forsaken my powers, because that was the only way that I could be with Kenji. Charming, kind, handsome, Kenji. I didn't think that what I had seen in the machine would ever...ever....happen to me; and I put those images out of my mind. Shut them out. Purged them from ever...entering...my mind...again. Well, I certainly regretted it afterwards. 

But...you know something? It happened well before you ever got to see what my life was like with Kenji. I never spoke to anyone about it, and Kenji...never said anything either, even after I told him. It was like...he was...pitying me. And no one _fucking_ pities me. No one. After all I've done for him, you know? He was even going to marry me, for pity's sake. But...it wasn't for love, even though he claims it to be love. He'll do it out of the goodness of his heart. And I know he would. He's the kind of man who would say something like that. 

And you know what? I don't fucking want that. Not for myself, and certainly not for him. So I built a little something to take me back. Thankfully they didn't take away my mind, because that's all I had left. And now...I'm here to take over. To take my life back, because this is the only way I know how. _This_ is how I'm going to fix the paradox. If you're smart, you'll let me make this end it quickly," she said, advancing once again. And added, "Then again, if you let me, I'll be more than happy to play with you and torture you for a while, if that makes it a much more worthy cause to die for." 

***** 

The other Skuld chuckled, and then stepped in for another attack. This time, though, she had gone full out. She had used some very powerful B level spell incantations, and a bolt of lightning came from her fingertips, Skuld only just missing being fried by a little. 

*Shit! Whatever was in the blade is slowing me down!* she thought frantically, trying to figure out something to do. *Wait, if she's using spells, then that means that I can use them too!* she started another incantation that would temporarily immobilize another being; she had only used the spell on the bugs before so that they would be easy pickings for her hammer, but this situation called for desperate measures. Unfortunately, the other Skuld dodged it easily. 

"Is that all you can do? Apply your simple tricks with bugs to me?" the other Skuld teased. 

Skuld cursed as she narrowly avoided the thrown blade of the knife, and jumped to avoid the impact of a very familiar hammer. 

"Oh, isn't this lovely...It's one thing to dance, but why should you dance, when there's no music?" the other Skuld retorted, as she broke her attack to switch the TV on. The scene that was being depicted was of her, surrounded by the notable figures of Loki and the warp bubbles of Urd and Aska. Now, however, they were joined by seemingly dozens of gray-black figures. 

"Loki's minions. Isn't it fun, how they've joined the club AFTER he got you? The loyalty of some people sometimes," she clucked in a dismissive tone as she began to attack again. But this time, Skuld wasn't fast enough to duck. 

SHHHHZZZZZZZ! was the last thing she heard before she was thrown onto her back. Disoriented, she shook her head. That only created massive pain as her ears and back molars screamed their displeasure at her. She groaned, and waved her own hammer uncertainly in front of her. She couldn't focus her vision...*where is she....fuck* 

"Relax...we were supposed to make this last, so you would be a better, more tragic hero...Remember?" the other Skuld intoned as she sat on one of the chairs again. "It won't make this interesting, would it, if you died too soon..." 

***** 

As the other Skuld watched the TV screen, the Loki on the screen was murmuring several encantations from a worn book that he held in his one hand, and holding the hearts in the other. For some reason, these words echoed loudly throughout the room, and caused the other Skuld to be a little nervous, looking around warily. 

The room glowed for a bit, and then, the room began to shake violently, as cracks started to appear on the ground. At first, a hand broke through, and soon, the minions that Loki had around him appeared in the room. 

"This is impossible!" the other Skuld bit out, as she found herself being surrounded by those creatures, perhaps most commonly known as gargoyles. They seemingly paid no attention to the Skuld of the present. Though her vision had cleared, she continued to play as if she was still out of it. And though the other Skuld had fought, the gargoyles' numbers were clearly superior, and soon, she was forced down into the ground with them. 

An ear-splitting scream of agony reached her ears as the cracks vanished however, and she winced in empathy. *That could have been me. Had I been the stronger one.* On the TV screen, however, she saw that the Skuld that was on the table opened her eyes. And stared into the air in front of her emptily, like a realistic imitation of one of Madame Tussaud's wax dolls. 

***** 

"Rise, Child," he commanded. Skuld sat up. 

"Come to me, Child," he continued, as she obeyed his every command. He cupped her chin, and tilted it, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. 

"Such...lovely features..." he sighed, slowly caressing her jawbone, and suddenly visibly shuddered from pure emotion. "What wretched creature am I, to have enslaved you in such a fashion..." he murmured, his lips in a twisted smile. "But alas, I know that you would have wanted this...yesss...the old you, would have..." 

***** 

"What wretched creature am I. Yess. The old you...would have. Such..._lovely_...features..." these words were so familiar, she could have sworn she had heard it somewhere before. It was a tiny thought, somewhere in the back of her mind, and she visibly fought to search for it, that elusive answer. 

*There,* she thought, as something came to the forefront. 

["What wretched creature am I, to have rained mischief on the unsuspecting world of foolish mortals, who without guidance, can do nothing but huddle in the caves, scavenging for their daily meal? I cannot change who I am and what role I play, but to have _you_...you, my love, beside me...I will stop this insanity, this chaos, and go with you wherever you may..." a familiar voice had whispered in her ear from behind, continuing to whisper sweet nothings as she felt that person touch her in ways that made her passions flair.] 

She gasped. The voice in her memory was none other than his. *How can this be?* her mind whirled in confusion, as more things seemingly jumped out at her, asking her to view them all at once. 

["Yess! You've made me the happiest immortal by agreeing to this union!" he grinned charmingly, and then kissed her, long, wet, and passionately. He was a handsome, elegant man, and with her next to him in the mirror, in their bridal clothes, they looked good together. They rubbed noses together, and he cupped her cheek, caressing it, and said, "you have such..._lovely_...features...you'll make a wonderful mother, I'm sure of it!"] 

"No!" she screamed, clutching her head. *What's going on!* A split second thought was that he was brainwashing her, imprinting her with new memories... 

***** 

"Oh that you were born...but a few centuries earlier...this time, I might have made things right again...the two of us..." he murmured, almost in a reverent tone, before suddenly slapping the unresponsive Skuld. Skuld merely looked back at him. "You ruined everything!" 

He looked ready to hit her again, except that one of the minions had scurried to his right, whispering something in an unknown language. 

"Cowards...So, the alarm was raised earlier than we had expected. That damn Rhiana," he spat. And then, turning back to her, his lips turning to that twisted smile again, "You'll be most helpful, now, won't you..." 

***** 

*A few centuries earlier..?* Skuld frowned. *No...It can't be...* Her eyes widened as her mind caught up to several clues. And then, she felt something. Her eyes searched the room, and realized that the room...it was...changing; folding onto itself, and there was nothing that she could do but try to escape. But it was too late. There were no exits. She was thrown onto her belly, and she felt like her innards were being turned inside out as she experienced true vertigo. She saw words, images, spells, incantations of the arcane sort, all over the place, and she had to will herself from not blacking out. It didn't work. 

***** 

"So. It has begun," the woman's voice came through to her. She blinked for a second or two, and looked around dazedly as she tried to understand why everything seemed so...different. All her senses were on hyper-alert, and she felt wearier, as if she had a greater burden to carry, for some reason. 

"What has?" she asked. And then, before the woman could speak again, "Ah. Yes. It has. But was it really necessary for me to fight her? The future version of me?" 

"It was her choice, to do it this way, and she must accept the consequences for her actions. Her reality will no longer exist...that was her fate when she fell under Loki's thrall. There is no way to get her back, but she will survive in your memories alone. It has not always been this way...this is the first time that those..._things_ were able to break the barrier that separates this place, and that of the other plane..." she said, almost to herself. And then, started again, "You've been here for two weeks now. They're struggling; all of them are. You have no more time to waste. Will you know what to do from here?" 

Skuld nodded, as she closed her eyes, and focused her attention on her senses. And then, somehow, reaching out, she managed to open, as simple as the opening to a tent, a tear in time, between the planes. 

"Will we meet again?" she asked. 

"That is up to you, I think," the woman said as she kissed Skuld on the cheek for good luck. 

And then, she stepped through... 

***** 

They were losing. Kenji knew that. There were too many still advancing, and they didn't have enough to go against them; not with Skuld helping them. And they couldn't reach her. He cursed once again, as a bolt of electricity nearly hit him from what was once his love. 

He had several cuts, but nothing serious. He looked to his side, trying to see what he could use to his advantage...but there was nothing but wooden tables all around this place. 

"Skuld! I know you're in there! Snap out of it! Please!..." he shouted yet again, before Chia-Yao shoved him out of the way of another zap. It took out a gargoyle instead, and it crumbled into its original stonework. Chia-Yao motioned Kenji to follow him, and zigzagged through several wooden tables, the bolts missing them wide. 

"It won't work...We've tried that already...we should just fall back! Rhiana will be back to full then...Aska is working on her right now..." Chia-Yao panted as they hid behind a bookshelf. They had managed to free Urd and Aska out of their warp bubbles, but ever since entering this room Skuld had been like a strange; a puppet controlled by Loki, and all their efforts to draw her out of her shell had failed. They tried to catch their breath, but the voice that came from behind them startled them into scrambling for different directions. 

"Looking for the exit, gentlemen?" Loki grinned sinisterly, twirling a rapier in one hand, eyeing them like a hawk would a rabbit. 

***** 

Rhiana opened her eyes, wondering where she was. It was dark, damp, and there were quiet rustlings all over the large chamber. She realized she was lying down on a stone table, and was hooked to an IV-like machine. She didn't recognize the decor, but realized that it was a makeshift infirmary of sorts. A figure came closer to her, and it took a moment for her to realize that it was Aska. 

"Thank God you're awake. For a moment there...I thought I...I thought I lost you..." Aska murmured, kissing her cheeks over and over again, tears down his cheeks unabashedly. 

"Wh-What happened?" she croaked, her voice cracking from disuse. 

"After you escaped, Loki managed to call out his minions...and they're crawling all over this place. We're safe for now, but...so many of our brethren have fallen. Many of the Norse gods...they were the first to go, because Loki knew how to take them, systematically, and quickly. Many of your sisters...Even I couldn't save them...and he's got Skuld, and...," he paused, not sure how to continue. 

"How did you get away?" she asked, instead. She knew he was hurting. 

"Chia-Yao, Kenji, Belldandy, and Keiichi...they managed to find us...before the main massacres began...at the great Hall...no one saw them coming...and his minions...were strong, unlike anything we've ever seen before. Skuld...I think Skuld is the one that is making them stronger," he managed to utter, before looking away. 

"But...she would never-" she protested. Then she realized, "The spell! The hearts!" 

He nodded grimly. 

"And where's Kenji? Keiichi? Belldandy?...And Urd?" she asked. "What about Chia-Yao." 

"Hush. Be still; you'll rip out your bandages. They're...at the front line now, with Brett in command as God of Destiny. They managed to get away from the Hall when it happened, because of Belldandy's mirror transporting abilities. Kenji and Chia-Yao are trying to draw the real Skuld out...trying to wake her..." he closed his eyes. "This is our last chance." 

"Then let me help," she said, determinedly. 

"You're hurt!" he protested. 

"I can still help you...Please. If I had known...that this was going to happen..." she murmured, sadly, thinking back just to when Skuld had visited her in her office. *What was she going to tell me, back then?* 

"Well...we'll need all the help we can get. Here...help me with Vishnu...he's been complaining about his arm," he said, helping her up. He recited a verse and then touched his fingers to her bandage, and she felt the discomfort fade. 

Her thoughts, before losing herself to the duties of Aska's helper, was...*Be safe. All of you.* 

***** 

"I can't believe you!" Urd moaned, covering her face. 

"They told me they could get through and reach her. And I think they had a good point, Urd," Brett said tiredly, not wanting to get into yet another argument with his girlfriend. 

"You send possibly the worst combination ever to get her back, do you realize that?" Urd ranted on, obviously not finished with the subject. 

Brett sighed, folded his arms, and sat back, waiting for her to continue. 

"They're rivals. Goddamn rivals. How do you know they won't kill each other before they even get to her, just to make sure that Skuld won't be able to choose the other one, hmmm? And Kenji's a mortal! He's not even like Keiichi, who at least has _some_ brains..." she retorted. 

"Thanks," Keiichi said sarcastically from the back of the room, his head currently being bandaged by Belldandy. After she was done, she sat quietly back down and a little frown appeared between her eyebrows, showing her extreme displeasure at Brett. 

"My point is...why didn't you get us to go with them? At least by then they might have a fighting chance to get out...And at least Bell and I could try to reach her...you know...since we're sisters and all...But Noooo...Mr. Tough Guy here-" Urd spat, before being interrupted by Brett. 

"Enough! Don't you get it? They're the only ones I could spare, if we wanted to maintain the strength of our front line. We're weak enough as it is. Everyday, for the past two weeks now...we've been gaining and losing ground...but you know what? We've been losing more than we have been gaining, and I didn't want to tell any of you that, because it would create a defeatist attitude that would get us nowhere. 

And now you've gotten that out of me. So we're going to sit here and wait until they come back. They're the last chance that we've got, before we have to retreat into the mortal realm. If this continues the way it has been for the last few days, that possibility might well become a reality. And I'm not going to be the one God of Destiny that let that happen without trying all our resources, so...Urd? Can it," he fumed. 

The rest of them stared at him in awkward silence. 

***** 

"Give up this foolish endeavor...you could still be with her, you know...be with Skuld...Isn't that what the two of you want? If you join me...you can..." he said, looking at Chia-Yao and then Kenji in the eye. The two of them were being held up, by the cuff of their necks, with enough pressure to make them start to choke. Only Chia-Yao, however, was stone-faced, as Kenji kept grabbing at his neck in order to breathe. 

"Ah...the mortal struggles pitifully for his life...against a more powerful predator...he is helpless, isn't he," Loki laughed. He casually threw Kenji against the wall, where he hit his head first, and slumped to the ground motionless. 

"Perhaps...you...would be a more worthy...associate," Loki said, giving him a crooked smile. "What do you say, Chia-Yao, more power than you could ever dream of, and the possession of your lady love, or...nothing. Which will it be?" Loki drawled. 

Chia-Yao merely spit in his face. For a second, he did nothing. Then he smiled. 

"Yaaaaarghhhh!" he roared as he threw Chia-Yao against the wall as well. *Ooh...I am going to love torturing this one...* 

"Skuld, child, come here..." he ordered softly. She came to his side instantly; looking at the two figures slumped at the wall, and then at him. He sat on the chair, and then asked her to sit on his lap. 

"You see? They would've betrayed you..." he whispered, running one of his hands through her hair...and was met by silence. He hissed, "You're mine now," and leaned in to claim his prize. Her lips were as soft, and sweet as he remembered. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to capture every fleeting sensation. 

Except. This time, he realized that she had kissed him back. He opened his eyes wide, startled, and he managed to pulled back, to see an even older Skuld's face...perhaps in her late 20s...in front of him, her eyes filled with mixed emotions as her lips murmured something quick and rapid, too quick for him to follow, and then touched her hands against his chest before he could get away from her. 

He saw no more...as he fell from the chair, clutching his chest. Skuld stood over him, closed her eyes, and sobbed, collapsing to her knees. *It's done...Farewell, Love.* 

***** 

[Two weeks later...] 

It wasn't until the quite words of, "Hey," were offered that she realized that someone was there with her on the roof. She had been watching the sunset and the different contours that were beginning to form in the darkening skies. Her eyes constantly searching for a hint of a bug in her masterpiece, some miscalculation on her part that she had forgotten to take out, concentrating so much so that she forgot that she was expecting a visitor. 

*Well, I haven't really forgotten, per se,* she thought, *...just...pushed it into the periphery. Even immortals have moments in time in which they wish they were some lesser being.* 

She sighed inwardly, turning to see Kenji looking at her awkwardly and if not a little warily. She patted the space to her left and turned to the sunset once again. 

"I've been expecting you." 

She could feel his presence in the back of her mind as he sat, his mortal aura an ambiguous mixture of hurt, sadness, and hope. They sat like this, not speaking, until Kenji could take it no longer. 

"I don't understand...why...all this...after..." he started, and then stopped, hoping that she would continue for him. She didn't, for a long moment, still trying to form the right words. 

"It's a strange thing to ask for something twice when you've already known the answer once before, and know that the answer will not change. Your memories have returned to you, have they not?" she asked. 

He nodded, remembering that day she had returned, a day that seemed so long ago... 

["You, I cannot love. I will remember all the times we had together, Kenji...I do not think them as you do. You must go now and live your life as it was meant to be...with someone else."] 

"But..." he protested, still not wanting to give up. 

"You were about to ask me why I would say something like that, even if that was a future temporal version of me doing it, and not me. Correct?" she asked. He could only nod. 

She sighed at the downside to her powers. Even with the restriction earrings that Kami-sama had given her in the aftermath of the vicious battle that had claimed many of her immortal and mortal counterparts, her precognitive powers were so strong that she had trouble waiting for the next person to finish his/her thought/line of conversation, making two-way conversations quite tasking. 

"I thought, well...my future counterpart, to be more exact, thought that if she spared you of much of the anguish of remembering our time together, that you would be able to appreciate and love even more deeply the one you were to be with...but she hadn't foreseen the coming of the manifest to be so soon, or that Loki...that Loki...would play a part in this," she said. The way she said HIS name drew Kenji's attraction instantly. 

Sensing this, Skuld closed her eyes, leaned back, and gave a big laugh. 

"I knew you would see it...was it the way that I talk of him? Hmm?" She allowed him a moment to agree, and then told him to lie back, the way she did, because it would take a while to explain. 

"It would be so much easier to explain if you were an immortal, and knew the theories behind the creation of Yggdrassil, and so and so forth, but I'll spare you the technicalities and the history of motor mechanisms that I was willing to research a few hundred years ago... 

In the largest, most broadest terms, this...reality was reset by Kami-sama, because to him something had gone terribly wrong and he wanted...no, needed...to start anew. I knew that this had happened before I was born, and I had found traces of evidence of such tampering in the Yggdrassil rings...but...due to the high security seals (and basically a lack of willingness to poke my head into something I wasn't supposed to) I didn't explore the data concealed within. If I had, I would have realized that this reset had much to do with what happened to Loki and me." she paused for a bit, to reach into her pocket and light a cig. 

Her hands trembled a little, he noticed, perhaps from the cold, or from repressed emotions. Without speaking he handed her his jacket, which she took gratefully with a small smile. 

"I remember traces of it, you know, of the time before the reset...but they were mostly triggered by the Manifest, and they feel a little alien even though they seem so familiar. I was a little older back then...no, roughly the same age as you see me now, having acquired my manifested powers, and by random chance I met Loki while he was off on one of his practical jokes...and well, though I can hardly imagine it happening now, we became lovers," she said, opening her eyes to carefully gauge his reactions. He was clearly shocked. 

"From what I can piece together, apparently we had similar opinions on the mortals...no offense to you, but back then we didn't know any personally, and it was hard trying to justify the existence of something that lived in a mere blink of an eye to us and whose technologies were so hard to instill and cultivate without our little nudgings. It was like watching a seedling grow, and we were definitely not the most patient or lenient of horticulturalists. And...well, I'd have to say that the sex was great," she said, laughing loudly at Kenji's gaping mouth. 

"After a while though, it really turned into something more. We turned to each other for everything...and we waited for the fallout from the other immortals. There really wasn't any at first...Kami-sama and the rest of the gang were happy for us, tolerated us, and even praised us for finding each other. It was a great time...one that sometimes even I miss...had I remembered, that is. 

And yet, this happiness that we found was to be short-lived. Loki found out that his powers were near-to-nothing when he did not cause mischief...and he was growing weaker by the day; to the point of near-death, even, because he had practically spent all the time he had with me in an effort to show how devoted we were to each other, and I was busy running the mainframe back then to really have any free time to cause any mischief. I couldn't stand the sight of him suffering; I loved him so much that I helped him in his escapades by ignoring my duties...and then, somewhere along the line, he realized, all of a sudden, that with me helping him, he could've become a powerful rival to Kami-sama, with him unable to do anything about it. 

It would have been one thing to say that I was blinded by love...it would be another to say that I was power hungry, and joined forces with one of the forces of chaos and mischief in order to gain more power. Whatever the reason, the powers that governed the universe was unbalanced, and there was a great battle fought, much like the one we fought, though on a much larger scale, since I was conscious, and on the opposing side to the rest of the gods. I was the gray in the field of black and white, and somehow I found myself fighting against my friends and my family, alongside the man that I loved. 

I didn't understand why it had to come to this, and at one point I decided that I couldn't do this anymore. In fact, I willingly surrendered to Kami-sama, to the horror of my lover. Kami-sama, in order to restore the order, reset the universe with the power of us three sisters...and tortured Loki with his mistake by having to remember his time with me even before his own manifest...and unable to do anything about it, as he had made sure that I was born even later than I was originally in the previous reality to ensure that something like the previous reality would not happen ever again. 

Many of the immortals would have remembered slight flicks and images as well, from their own manifests, and would have avoided Loki, further isolating him, driving him to the brink of madness and beyond. So, you see, I think that these two things were what really drove him to become the twisted being that you battled... 

He stole me as I was unconscious, trying to create a puppet-figure he could control, so that there was no way that I could betray him again...and then, establish the base in which he could amass great amounts of chaotic power to battle the other immortals. It was a good thing we were able to stop him before he spread his sphere of power onto the mortal realm...the casualties...would have been catastrophic..." she drifted off, absently rubbing the little cube necklace she had. It glowed a little, startling him a little. 

"...What is that?" he asked, surprised that he could get off his question before he was cut off. 

"Hmm? Ah. You mean this little contraption? This...this is where he is, close to my heart, for now...and for all eternity," she said cryptically. 

"What do you mean, this is where he is-" he asked for clarification. 

"Before this all happened, Loki was the one to carry the burden of the knowledge of his previous life...and now...it is only right that I get to carry his memory...here. This is his prison, though he can neither know what is outside...It is now my duty...to carry the knowledge of our past faults, and use them to create images of future projections. With him so close to me, there will always be an element of chaos, but that will of course be what make things interesting..." she murmured. 

"So...what about Chia-Yao?" he asked, after a moment of letting her think out her thoughts. "Will he be with you, too?" 

"Feeling a little jealous, are we..." she drawled, forcing a smile to let the harsh words soften. Just a little. 

"I just don't think he's the right person for you," he protested. 

"He isn't," she answered cryptically. 

"Huh? But-" 

"I could never fall for the person that he is right now," she smiled. *I never said anything about the future though...* she thought quietly to herself. "Besides...look at me. I've...changed. It wouldn't have worked between any of us, even if I had agreed...I don't see things in quite the same way anymore...Would you have been willing to wait?" 

"...I don't know," he said. 

"I'll bet that's what Chia-Yao and Rhiana will say...when they come to see me, later, too," she said with a smile, taking the sting out of the words, trying to make this easier on him. Not that it was easier for her; not by any means. And then, softly, almost unheard, she said, "He would have, you know." 

And that's when Kenji realized she wasn't over Loki. And Kenji felt...lost, realizing what depth, what feelings the two lovers had shared together. And felt pity for her, for losing such a delicate thing. He sat quietly, not really knowing what to say. 

"Dinner's ready!" Urd hollered up at them, breaking any consequent questions Kenji might have had about relationships. 

"...Well...I guess...I should be going," he said, retreating back into the house. 

"But aren't _you_ wondering who you're going to be with? I _can_ tell you that, you know, if you want me to," she asked to his retreating back. It was a tempting thought, she knew. A lot of immortals would die to have an idea of finding out who their lifemate would be, just so that they wouldn't have to look so hard or suffer through possibly heartbreaking experiences. 

"Nah...I think I'll try to let things run their natural course," he said after a moment, having decided to not take things for granted. For some reason, he wondered what Rhiana was doing... 

Behind him, Skuld smiled to herself, realizing that she had known what his answer would have been from the start, and yet could not resist the temptation to test him. To see if he was the right person, worthy enough for her best friend. She knew there was a real possibility for that. And thankfully, he passed, with flying colors. 

But her...to her, any potential relationships were out of the question right now, when you add the fact that she was still too rubbed raw from having found out the truth about the universe that was reset, the burden that she literally carried, and the work she still had to catch up on, to right things once more. The fruition of any relationship might take another century or two. But for those willing to wait...the possibilities were there. 

She wondered if anyone would say that to her, given the time and opportunity. 

THE END 

***** 

**Author's Notes**

The result of three afternoons of intensive writing, revisions, and a little inspiration from reading the latest update of TSOTBOMH, I didn't realize that I would finish this so quickly; it's a near miracle. I hope that you enjoyed the journey, however rocky and inconsistent as it may be; I left the door wide open for certain pairings for those inclined. Many thanks to Elorran and others who's pushed me along, and especially M for the fast beta. 

Having said all that I've wanted, I leave this piece here.--icezer230, 14/11/2002 


End file.
